Trump sent men to torture in El Salvador, report confirms

Human Rights Watch found that Venezuelans shipped to El Salvador by the United States were beaten almost every day.

Mother Jones
“You Have Arrived in Hell”

The 81-page report, “‘You Have Arrived in Hell’: Torture and Other Abuses Against Venezuelans in El Salvador’s Mega Prison,” provides a comprehensive account of the treatment of these people in El Salvador. In March and April 2025, the US government sent 252 Venezuelans, including dozens of asylum seekers, to the Center for Terrorism Confinement (Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, CECOT) mega prison in El Salvador, despite credible reports of serious human rights abuses in El Salvador’s prisons. The Venezuelans were subject to refoulement—being sent to where they would face torture or persecution—arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, inhumane detention conditions and, in some cases, sexual violence.

Human Rights Watch

In early 2025, the #Trump admin flew Venezuelan immigrants to Salvadoran President #Bukele’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center [#CECOT], where they were held for 4 months without communication w/ their families & lawyers. The US govt had accused the men of being members of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua & removed most of them from the #US under the #AlienEnemiesAct—an 18th-century #law that Trump has invoked for only the 4th time in US history.

#immigration #HumanRights #DueProcess

As MJ & other outlets have reported extensively, most of the men had NO serious criminal history in the #US or elsewhere in the world. What they often had instead were #tattoos that bore NO relation to the gang.

The new report offers even more evidence of the #inhumane treatment the #Venezuelan #immigrants endured in #ElSalvador.

#Trump #law #immigration #AlienEnemiesAct #Rendition #StateSponsoredAbduction #CivilRights #HumanRights #DueProcess #InternationalLaw #CrimesAgainstHumanity

Based on the testimonies of 40 men who were detained at #CECOT, as well as interviews with 150 other people—including lawyers & relatives in #Venezuela, #Colombia, & the US—it paints a damning picture of the abuses inflicted at CECOT.

The #Venezuelans were released in July and returned to their country of origin as part of a prisoner swap deal. Shortly after their release, 3 of the men told MJ that they faced severe #abuse.

#Trump #law #immigration #Rendition #HumanRights #DueProcess #torture

…They described routine beatings & humiliations, medical neglect, & severe punishments in an isolation cell referred to as la isla, or the island, according to MJ reporting. “What they did there was #torture us,” one of the men said.

#HRW & #Cristosal found similar evidence of abuse. They concluded that the #Venezuelans sent to #CECOT “were subjected to what amounts to arbitrary detention & enforced disappearance under international human rights law.”

#Trump #law #immigration #HumanRights

#HRW & #Cristosal also found detainees were subject to “constant beatings & other forms of ill-treatment,” including #SexualViolence. They noted guards withholding #food & #medicine. “Many of these abuses constitute #torture under international human rights #law,” the report says.

The #HumanRights orgs determined the #abuse was the result of “systematic violations,” rather than independent actions by guards & other ofcls at #CECOT.

#Trump #immigration #Rendition #InternationalLaw

All 40 of the men interviewed reported facing severe psychological & physical #abuse on an almost daily basis.

The researchers found that the #US became #complicit in the men’s forced disappearances by repeatedly denying family members info about where their loved ones were being held. Acc/to the report, the #Trump admin violated its legal obligation to uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits sending people to countries where they are likely to be tortured or persecuted.

#law

@Nonilex 😡 So many crimes against humanity.

@Nonilex

The US has fallen to a failed democracy status when prisoners are tortured

No country show allows this and #gop / little donald were happy it happened

Disgusting

@Nonilex

Plenty of people have tattoos. Why Venezuelans in particular?

A Trump billionaire, Tim Mellon, has an obsession with Venezuela & its oil.
https://www.10news.com/us-news/a-controversial-venezuela-ahead-billboard-is-greeting-drivers-coming-to-colorado-from-wyoming

Tim Mellon wants regime change or an oil war in Venezuela.

He's the 2nd biggest donor after Musk in 2024.
2. Timothy Mellon $197,047,200

Tim Mellon gave $130 million to the GOP during the shutdown "for the troops".
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/25/timothy-mellon-donor-military-pay-shutdown

Mellon paid the GOP to have these men tortured & boats blown up "for reasons"

A controversial 'Venezuela Ahead' billboard is greeting drivers coming to Colorado from Wyoming

Drivers entering Colorado from Wyoming on Interstate 25 are being greeted by a controversial billboard that aims to warn travelers about what they may encounter ahead as they come into the state.

ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV

@Npars01

And #TimothyMellon is batshit crazy. Click hashtag for my threads on him.