President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele mocked U.S. District Choose James Boasberg after two flights from the U.S. carrying practically between 250 and 300 Venezuelan and different gang members landed in El Salvador regardless of Boasberg’s emergency order issued Saturday evening in a case introduced by the ACLU to show the planes round and return the gang members to the U.S.
In response to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a couple of MS-13 gang members and most needed fugitives have been among the many over 250 Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang members deported after President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
Bukele posted, “Oopsie…Too late ” over a New York Publish headline that reads, “Fed decide orders deportation flights carrying alleged Venezuelan gangbangers to return to US after Trump invokes Alien Enemies Act”
Oopsie…
Too late pic.twitter.com/nDHL6deLJq
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
Bukele additionally posted video of the nighttime arrival of the deportees, displaying the gang members being faraway from the planes in shackles after which being taken to El Salvador’s supermax safety jail, CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, in an enormous safety operation.
The gang members, showing to be all male, are later seen having their heads shaved by masked safety personnel.
Bukele posted an announcement accompanying the video:
At the moment, the primary 238 members of the Venezuelan prison group, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our nation. They have been instantly transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Heart, for a interval of 1 yr (renewable).
America can pay a really low payment for them, however a excessive one for us.
Over time, these actions, mixed with the manufacturing already being generated by greater than 40,000 inmates engaged in numerous workshops and labor beneath the Zero Idleness program, will assist make our jail system self-sustainable. As of at this time, it prices $200 million per yr.
On this event, the U.S. has additionally despatched us 23 MS-13 members needed by Salvadoran justice, together with two ringleaders. Certainly one of them is a member of the prison group’s highest construction.
It will assist us finalize intelligence gathering and go after the final remnants of MS-13, together with its former and new members, cash, weapons, medication, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors.
As all the time, we proceed advancing within the struggle in opposition to organized crime. However this time, we’re additionally serving to our allies, making our jail system self-sustainable, and acquiring very important intelligence to make our nation an excellent safer place. All in a single motion.
Might God bless El Salvador, and should God bless america.
At the moment, the primary 238 members of the Venezuelan prison group, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our nation. They have been instantly transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Heart, for a interval of 1 yr (renewable).
America can pay a really low payment for them,… pic.twitter.com/tfsi8cgpD6
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
Assertion by Secretary Rubio:
“Now we have despatched 2 harmful prime MS-13 leaders plus 21 of its most needed again to face justice in El Salvador. Additionally, as promised by
@POTUS, we despatched over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to carry of their superb jails at a good worth that may also save our taxpayer {dollars}. President @nayibbukele will not be solely the strongest safety chief in our area, he’s additionally an incredible good friend of the U.S. Thanks!”
Now we have despatched 2 harmful prime MS-13 leaders plus 21 of its most needed again to face justice in El Salvador. Additionally, as promised by @POTUS, we despatched over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to carry of their superb jails at a good worth that may…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 16, 2025
Rubio added, “Thanks on your help and friendship, President Bukele.”
Thanks on your help and friendship, President Bukele. https://t.co/E6DrFLeU5F
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 16, 2025
Final month, beneath President Trump’s course, Rubio traveled to El Salvador to satisfy with Bukele. That assembly resulted in Saturday’s mass deportation of international gang members (State Department statement):
Readout
Workplace of the Spokesperson
February 3, 2025The under is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met at this time with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in San Salvador. It was a tremendously profitable assembly that may make each nations stronger, safer, and extra affluent.
A number of agreements have been struck to struggle the waves of unlawful mass migration at present destabilizing your complete area. President Bukele agreed to take again all Salvadoran MS-13 gang members who’re in america unlawfully. He additionally promised to simply accept and incarcerate violent unlawful immigrants, together with members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, but additionally prison unlawful migrants from any nation. And in a rare gesture by no means earlier than prolonged by any nation, President Bukele supplied to accommodate in his jails harmful American criminals, together with U.S. residents and authorized residents.
Secretary Rubio and President Bukele concluded a civil nuclear cooperation MOU, which was signed by the Secretary and Salvadoran Overseas Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco hours later.
Secretary Rubio knowledgeable President Bukele that america will subject a waiver to unfreeze help to assist the 2 nations’ joint work to detect suspicious vacationers at El Salvador’s Nationwide Passenger Evaluation Heart (CNAP), resume operations at El Salvador’s Border Safety Data Group (GCIF), and assist El Salvador’s vetted items working with U.S. regulation enforcement.
Secretary Rubio additionally raised methods to counter the affect of the Chinese language Communist Celebration within the hemisphere to safeguard the sovereignty and pursuits of each nations and the area.
