El Salvador Shares Intel to US Over Gang Deportation
- paolo bibat
- Apr 11
- 2 min read
El Salvador has confirmed its active collaboration with the United States in identifying and deporting gang members, sharing detailed intelligence and requesting specific individuals for extradition.
Security and Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro emphasized that these deportations are not arbitrary but based on comprehensive records maintained by Salvadoran authorities.
“We raise our hands and say, ‘Look, this guy,’” Villatoro stated in an exclusive interview, highlighting the country’s targeted approach.
The announcement follows a series of deportations under the Trump administration, which sent over 270 individuals to El Salvador, accusing them of ties to gangs such as MS-13 and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua.
However, the process has sparked controversy, particularly in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland-based father of three who was deported due to what US officials later admitted was an "administrative error."
Despite a 2019 US immigration judge’s ruling that protected him from deportation due to gang threats against his family, Abrego Garcia is now held in El Salvador’s high-security Cecot prison.
This case has reignited debates over due process in deportations. While US authorities allege Abrego Garcia’s ties to MS-13, his family and legal team vehemently deny these claims, labeling his detention unjust.
His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, expressed her family’s anguish: “My kids ask daily, ‘When is Dad coming home?’” Meanwhile, Salvadoran officials have declined to comment on individual cases but maintain that deportees with pending criminal records are immediately incarcerated upon arrival.
Villatoro defended the government’s actions, asserting that all deportees are screened against a gang database upon arrival. “If we find someone who we are very sure is a gang member, we capture them and put them in jail,” he said. He dismissed claims of innocence as insufficient without a clean criminal record.
However, Abrego Garcia’s legal team criticized the lack of transparency and evidence supporting his detention. “The government of El Salvador has not provided any convictions or substantiated evidence,” they argued.
The Cecot prison, where Abrego Garcia is detained, has faced scrutiny for overcrowding and alleged human rights violations.
Originally designed for 40,000 inmates, its population has surged amid El Salvador’s aggressive anti-gang policies. Villatoro revealed plans to expand the facility or construct another maximum-security prison if needed.
The US Supreme Court recently paused a court-ordered deadline to return Abrego Garcia to the US, granting more time to review the case. The reasons behind the delay remain unclear.
El Salvador’s collaboration with the US underscores President Nayib Bukele’s hardline stance on gangs.
Villatoro described the partnership as essential for combating organized crime but insisted that deportations are conducted with precision based on extensive records.
However, critics argue that without due process and transparency, such measures risk undermining human rights and legal protections for individuals like Abrego Garcia.
