President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act over the weekend to authorize the deportation of hundreds of gang members tied to Tren de Aragua and MS-13. Both organizations are classified as foreign terrorist organizations by the federal government.
Under an agreement with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, the Trump administration deported more than 250 gang members to San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. The United States will compensate the Central American nation for accepting these foreign criminals. The deported individuals include 238 members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and 23 members of El Salvador’s notorious MS-13 gang. Tren de Aragua expanded significantly in the U.S. during the Biden administration, contributing to violent crime and illegal activities.
Federal Judge James E. Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order to block Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations. However, the order came too late, as the deportation flights had already taken off. Bukele responded to the ruling with a post on X, saying, “Oopsie … too late.”
Upon arrival in El Salvador, the gang members were transferred to the nation’s high-security Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. Photos show them being escorted by masked guards, their heads down as they were forced onto the ground. The mega-prison, designed to hold up to 40,000 criminals, is a key part of Bukele’s aggressive crackdown on gang violence.
Bukele has prioritized law and order, mirroring Trump’s stance on crime. His policies have led to a historic reduction in El Salvador’s homicide rate, with just 114 murders recorded last year in a country of over 6 million people. His tough-on-crime approach has received international attention, demonstrating the effectiveness of strict anti-gang measures.
