US to Discuss Deporting Tren de Aragua Gang Members to El Salvador
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to discuss the possibility of deporting suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador with Salvadorese President Nayib Bukele. According to State Department Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone, the goal is to have these individuals return to Venezuela rather than being forced to share a prison with Salvadorean gangs like MS-13.
Under President Bukele’s direction, El Salvador has launched a security crackdown, detaining tens of thousands of individuals suspected of gang membership, which has led to a significant decrease in murders. However, human rights activists claim the approach is overbroad, citing new legislation that allows police to detain citizens without proof.
The discussion comes after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order recommending the State Department start the process of designating the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang as a foreign terrorist organization, citing their “campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally.”
Rubio is set to start his tour of Central America this weekend, arriving in San Salvador on Monday. The trip is focused on addressing migration and border security, a top priority for the Trump administration. The number of border encounters with migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras has dropped in 2024, with tens of thousands attempting to enter the US each year.