The United States has paid El Salvador $6 million to detain Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members, who were living in the U.S. illegally, the White House confirmed on Monday.
This agreement, made during the Trump administration, involved deporting at least 238 gang members to El Salvador instead of sending them back to Venezuela. The deal coincided with a federal judge’s ruling to block certain deportations under an old wartime law invoked by former President Donald Trump.
White House Justifies the Cost
During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the $6 million price tag, calling it a “small price to pay” compared to the burden of keeping these criminals in U.S. prisons. According to Leavitt, detaining them in maximum-security prisons in the U.S. would have been far more expensive for taxpayers.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele acknowledged the deal but expressed mixed feelings, stating that while the U.S. paid a low price, the impact on El Salvador would be significant. However, he added that his government is working towards making its prison system self-sustainable through labor programs involving over 40,000 inmates.
Political Reactions and Security Concerns
The deportation deal has drawn mixed reactions. Senator Marco Rubio praised Bukele as the “strongest security leader in the region” and a trusted U.S. ally for accepting these criminals.
However, some critics argue that relocating violent gang members to El Salvador rather than their home country could pose new security risks in Central America.
Meanwhile, the decision to deport these gang members came as U.S. District Judge James Boasberg halted deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which Trump invoked last week to crack down on Tren de Aragua members in the U.S. With legal battles ongoing, the debate over immigration, security, and international cooperation continues to intensify.
