U.S. President Donald Trump has shared videos showing convicted criminals being transferred to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison known for its large inmate population and strict security measures.
In the caption accompanying one of the videos, Trump described the inmates as “killers, drug dealers and thugs” and linked their imprisonment to what he said was a decline in crime in the United States.
“THIS IS WHERE WE SEND OUR KILLERS, DRUG DEALERS & THUGS. THIS IS WHY MURDER AND OTHER CRIMES IN AMERICA ARE AT RECORD LOWS,” Trump wrote.
His statement presents the transfers as part of his administration’s approach to tackling crime. However, the claim that sending inmates to El Salvador is responsible for lower crime rates is Trump’s assertion and should not be treated as an established causal link without supporting evidence.
CECOT, which opened in 2023 in the town of Tecoluca, is designed to hold up to 40,000 inmates. The facility has gained international attention as a central part of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on criminal gangs. Each cell can accommodate between 65 and 70 prisoners, according to reporting by NPR and the Associated Press.
The prison has also drawn scrutiny from human rights organizations over detention conditions, access to legal representation and allegations of abuse within El Salvador’s prison system. The facility’s strict security arrangements and limited access for independent observers have made it difficult to assess conditions inside fully.
Trump’s latest post places CECOT at the centre of his public messaging on crime and punishment. However, while official U.S. data show that crime declined in 2025, establishing that a particular policy caused that decline requires separate evidence. FactCheck.org reported in August 2026 that Trump had made misleading claims about the impact of his administration’s policies on falling crime rates.
