El Salvador offers to take in US criminals, migrants

El Salvador has proposed taking in “dangerous criminals” currently held in U.S. prisons, including those with American citizenship, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

During his visit to the Central American country, Rubio met with President Nayib Bukele and expressed the United States’ deep gratitude for the offer, stating, “No country has ever extended a gesture of friendship like this.”

Additionally, El Salvador has agreed to accept deported migrants of any nationality who are criminals and residing unlawfully in the U.S., Rubio confirmed.

The secretary of state also commended Bukele’s approach to tackling gang violence, which has significantly reduced crime rates in a country once known as the murder capital of the world. However, these measures have drawn criticism from human rights organizations.

Rubio told reporters: “He has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those with US citizenship and legal residency.”

“We are profoundly grateful. I spoke to President Trump about this earlier today,” he said.

Rubio is on his first overseas tour as the US top diplomat, and has been seeking to assert the Trump administration’s priorities in the region, including demanding that Panama make “immediate changes” to what he calls the “influence and control” of China over the Panama Canal.

Rubio stated that President Bukele has agreed to take back Salvadoran citizens and migrants from other nations, with a particular focus on Latin American gang members such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.

Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has prioritized expediting the removal of undocumented migrants, pledging “mass deportations.”

In parallel efforts, more active-duty troops have been deployed to strengthen the U.S.-Mexico border, and the president has issued an executive order aimed at halting the processing of migrants and asylum seekers.

Bukele hinted to reporters that his proposal on prisons goes beyond a 2019 agreement on accepting migrants.

In a post on X, Bukele described his offer as an opportunity for the U.S. to “outsource part of its prison system.”

“We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted US citizens) into our mega-prison… in exchange for a fee.”

Bukele, a former mayor of the capital, San Salvador, first won power in 2019 on a pledge to create a “new era” for El Salvador, take on gang violence and corruption and foster better relations with the US.

He saw his popularity soar after launching a crackdown on crime and gangs, turning El Salvador from the murder capital of the world into one of the region’s safest countries.

His government carried out sweeping arrests of anyone suspected of being involved in gang activity during his first term in office.

An estimated 75,000 people have been arrested under emergency measures that have been repeatedly extended, alarming human rights groups.

Amnesty International criticised the “gradual replacement of gang violence with state violence” in the country.