Accused Gang Members Placed In El Salvador's CECOT Mega Prison

TECOLUCA, EL SALVADOR - DECEMBER 15: Inmates return to their cell after a medical checkup at the CECOT (Counter Terrorism Confinement Center) on December 15, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador. CECOT gained notoriety in 2025 when the Trump administration began its controversial policy of deporting people to El Salvador who they claimed were members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren De Aragua, and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a gang whose members are historically Salvadoran. In 2023 El Salvador opened Latin America's largest prison as part of President Nayib Bukele's plan to fight gangs. The government says some 20,000 gang members are being held at the mega-prison, which has a capacity of 40,000. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)