US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to discuss the possibility of deporting suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador. This meeting comes as part of Rubio's upcoming tour of Central America, where he is expected to arrive in San Salvador on Monday. The discussions are framed by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20, recommending the designation of the Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
Recent data from Customs and Border Protection shows a decline in border encounters with individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in 2024. Despite this, tens of thousands of migrants from these countries continue to attempt entry into the United States annually. In response, El Salvador has intensified its efforts against gang violence, notably opening a new maximum-security prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), last year for alleged gang members.
Since his inauguration in 2019, President Bukele has initiated a security crackdown in El Salvador, detaining tens of thousands on suspicion of gang membership. This campaign has resulted in a notable decrease in murder rates, with El Salvador now recording fewer murders than the United States according to government statistics. US officials, including State Department Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone, have praised these efforts. Claver-Carone remarked on the potential agreement concerning Tren de Aragua:
"We’re looking to do a new agreement that might include the members of the Tren de Aragua, who will want to go back to Venezuela rather than having to share the prison with the Salvadorean gangs like MS-13. It’s part of what we want to discuss and how President Bukele can help us…” – Mauricio Claver-Carone
The security measures in El Salvador, however, have not been without controversy. New legislation allows police to detain citizens without proof, a move criticized by human rights activists as excessive. Yet, the Bukele administration continues its aggressive stance against gangs such as the Salvadoran MS-13, which was identified in Trump's executive order as a threat to regional stability.
The Tren de Aragua gang has been highlighted for its "campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally," underscoring the urgency behind these discussions.
"the campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally" – Donald Trump
President Trump's administration has prioritized stemming migration into the US, implementing various directives aimed at curtailing this flow. These efforts align with his broader strategy to address transnational crime and enhance border security.
