U.S. Allocates $6 Million to El Salvador for Detention of Venezuelan Gang Members
The U.S. is paying El Salvador approximately $6 million to detain 238 Venezuelan gang suspects, identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized this cost is minor compared to housing them in the U.S. President Bukele confirmed their transfer to a detention center, while Trump cited the Alien Enemies Act to facilitate the deportation.
The Trump administration has allocated approximately $6 million to El Salvador for the detention of 238 Venezuelan gang suspects, as announced by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. During a briefing, Leavitt emphasized that this amount represents ‘pennies on the dollar’ compared to the potential costs of housing these individuals in U.S. maximum-security prisons.
These deported individuals are believed to be affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, which was recently designated by Trump as a foreign terrorist organization. This announcement came just as a federal judge sought to prevent their flight back to the United States with the deportees on board.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele confirmed via social media that the suspects were transferred to the Terrorism Confinement Center, where they will remain for a renewable one-year period. Bukele expressed that while the financial burden is minimal for the U.S., it would impose significant consequences for El Salvador.
In a recent social media post, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to facilitate the deportation of these individuals, marking its first application since World War II. Trump reciprocated gratitude to Bukele, attributing the issues of crime in the U.S. to ineffective Democratic leadership and referring to the deported gang suspects as ‘monsters’ sent by the political opposition.
In conclusion, the U.S. government’s decision to subcontract the detention of Venezuelan gang suspects to El Salvador highlights an ongoing strategy to manage illegal immigration and gang-related crime. President Trump’s actions, including invoking the Alien Enemies Act, reflect a broader narrative concerning national security and immigration policy. The financial aspects of this arrangement reveal significant implications for both nations, underscoring the complex interplay between domestic law enforcement and foreign relations.
Original Source: nypost.com
