Deported Venezuelans Describe Beatings and Abuse in El Salvador’s CECOT Prison After U.S. Terrorism Designation
Between March and April last year the U.S. deported exactly 252 Venezuelan men to El Salvador’s CECOT prison under a wartime statute (the Alien Enemies Act), including college student Luis Muñoz Pinto, who says he was held six months in U.S. custody and abruptly labeled a “danger to society” despite no criminal record. Deported men told 60 Minutes they were paraded off the tarmac in shackles, bussed to CECOT and subjected to beatings and other alleged torture — bound, forced to kneel, heads shaved, bloodied, with broken teeth and threats from prison officials — while senior Trump‑administration officials declined on‑camera interviews about the policy.
📌 Key Facts
- Between March and April of last year, U.S. authorities deported exactly 252 Venezuelan men to El Salvador’s CECOT prison under a theory invoking the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime statute.
- At least one deportee is identified by name: Luis Muñoz Pinto, a college student who fled Venezuela, waited in Mexico for a CBP appointment in California, was detained six months in U.S. custody, and then was abruptly labeled a "danger to society" and deported despite having no criminal record.
- Many deportees said they believed they were being returned to Venezuela until the plane landed and they saw hundreds of Salvadoran police on the tarmac; they were paraded in shackles for cameras and bussed to CECOT.
- Former detainees gave granular first‑person accounts of alleged torture and abuse at CECOT, including being bound hand and foot, forced to kneel, having heads shaved, widespread bleeding, urination and vomiting from beatings, guards striking them with fists and batons (breaking teeth), and a director reportedly telling them they would "never see the light of day" and welcoming them to "hell."
- 60 Minutes said it repeatedly sought on‑camera interviews with senior Trump administration officials responsible for the policy since November; those officials declined, leaving victims' and foreign authorities' accounts as the primary detailed sources about what happened to the deportees.
📊 Relevant Data
In March 2025, the United States deported 238 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's CECOT prison, with nearly half (118 out of more than 230) having entered the US legally and being deported in the middle of their immigration cases, often without criminal convictions beyond immigration violations.
Venezuelan men and their families share experiences after CECOT imprisonment in El Salvador — Texas Tribune
As of late 2025, approximately 47% of ICE detainees had criminal charges or convictions in the US, implying that 53% did not, with immigrants without criminal records comprising the largest group in detention.
ICE's detainee population reaches new record high of 73,000 amid Trump deportation push — CBS News
MS-13 gang membership in Central America has been fueled by high levels of deportations from the United States, where deportees are poorly socialized into local society and contribute to gang expansion, with origins tracing back to Salvadoran refugees in Los Angeles who faced harassment and later deportations.
Gang Membership in Central America: More Complex Than It Seems — Migration Policy Institute
The rise of Tren de Aragua can be traced to systemic failures in Venezuela, including poverty, corruption, and forced population displacement, which drive migration and gang involvement.
Why MS-13, M-18, and Tren de Aragua Are Not Terrorist Groups — The Immigration Lab
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies at least one deported Venezuelan, Luis Muñoz Pinto, by name and details his path: a college student fleeing Venezuela, waiting in Mexico for a CBP appointment in California, detained six months in U.S. custody, then abruptly labeled a 'danger to society' and deported despite no criminal record.
- Confirms that between March and April of last year the U.S. deported exactly 252 Venezuelan men to El Salvador’s CECOT prison under an Alien Enemies Act theory, clarifying the number, time window and the use of a wartime statute for this crackdown.
- Provides granular, first‑person descriptions of alleged torture and abuse at CECOT: detainees bound hand and foot, forced to their knees, heads shaved, widespread blood, urination and vomiting from beatings, guards 'savagely' striking them with fists and batons, breaking teeth, and a director allegedly telling them they would 'never see the light of day' and welcoming them to 'hell.'
- Shows that many of the Venezuelan deportees believed they were being returned to Venezuela until landing and seeing hundreds of Salvadoran police waiting on the tarmac, where they were paraded in shackles for cameras and bussed to CECOT.
- Documents that 60 Minutes repeatedly sought on‑camera interviews with senior Trump administration officials responsible for the policy since November; those officials declined, reinforcing that the only detailed accounts of what happened to deportees are coming from victims and foreign authorities, not U.S. policymakers.