US3 min(s) read
Published 11:15 30 Apr 2026 GMT
Donald Trump shocked the US public in the early stages of his second term in office, sending hundreds of unproven criminals to one of the world's most notorious penitentiaries.
Located in El Salvador, it's been described as a mega-prison and can hold up to 40,000 inmates at one time.
Following the mass deportation of alleged convicts by the Trump administration, the prison started being referred to as CECOT, which stands for the Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism.
Trump utilized a little-known 18th-century wartime law to carry out the deportations, as the government claimed that the nation was undergoing an "invasion" from violent criminal organizations.
They said that this was linked to many kidnappings, contract killings, and organized crime in general.
While a federal judge tried to block this order and ruled against the mass deportation, the plane was already in international airspace.
The Trump administration denied violating the ruling from the judge, claiming that it had acted lawfully.
These immigrants were transferred from the US to El Salvador's maximum-security prison, after a deal was agreed between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
The deal meant that foreign citizens who had been "convicted" in the US could be transferred to CECOT for a fee.
Bukele had similarly led a crackdown on gangs in his own nation, posting media of alleged criminals from the US being apprehended and taken from the plane into the prison.
Described as a "concrete and steel pit" by Miguel Sarre, former member of the United Nations Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, human rights groups have also objected to CECOT's use.
There are currently no plans for US citizens to be deported to the prison, with foreign nationals instead deported.
There are some rules in place for inmates to follow by the letter, and one of these is about remaining in uniform.
All inmates must wear a white shirt and shorts, and their heads are shaved every five days.
When night comes, inmates must sleep in "inhumane" conditions, as the prison's "modules" hold over 100 inmates in one room with just two toilets, two sinks and 80 bunks to sleep in.
The beds have no mattresses though, with prisoners forced to sleep on metal, and apart from half an hour of exercise per day, there's nothing for inmates to do.
There are just two Bibles in each of the crowded cells to provide entertainment.
Food at the prison is also reportedly grim and served in small portions, while inmates are forced to eat with their hands.
CECOT is one of the highest security prisons in the world and near-impossible to escape from, which makes it all the more contentious that many of those incarcerated are there without sufficient evidence.
BBC correspondent Leire Ventas went to the prison in 2024, reporting that the sheer number of prisoners with shaved heads in the prison mirroring what some called a "black hole of human rights."
Lights were never turned off in the prison, with just a few air filters around to combat temperatures, which could reach heights of 35°C (95°F).
