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Ali Bradley focuses on critical issues at the southern border, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, and immigration enforcement efforts, highlighting the challenges in managing the migrant influx. You can catch her insights on the topic by visiting Bradley on the Border on YouTube.
This past weekend, the United States executed the deportation of over 250 alleged gang members back to El Salvador, raising concerns and sparking reactions both domestically and internationally. Video footage shared on social media reveals the chilling reception these individuals received upon arrival.
According to Salvadoran officials, among those deported were 238 Venezuelans linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, along with 23 affiliates of the notorious MS-13. Following their arrival, these individuals were promptly taken to a Terrorism Confinement Center where they are set to be held for a minimum of one year. This operation is part of a $6 million agreement between the U.S. and El Salvador, as reported by the Associated Press.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele commented on the situation via social media, emphasizing the financial burden his country bears in this arrangement despite the relatively low cost for the U.S. His remarks coincided with the circulating video of the detainees under heavy escort.
Learn more about Tren de Aragua, a gang that has been linked to a range of illicit activities in the United States.
Footage from the transfer shows prisoners, shackled and escorted by heavily armed officers, struggling to move forward while being herded along. Their restraints, which bind wrists, ankles, and waists, force them into a shuffle rather than allowing free movement. A significant security presence, including riot police, was visible, with helicopters monitoring the situation from above.
Once at the facility, detainees are loaded onto military buses under strict security protocols, their heads lowered to prevent any potential resistance. The convoy, composed of armored vehicles and special forces, is instrumental in delivering the migrants to the CECOT, a prison known for housing tens of thousands of gang members detained by the Salvadoran government in recent years.
In the prison environment, detainees face a systematic process that includes the shaving of heads and being outfitted in white prison uniforms. Following this, they are marched into crowded holding cells, hands restrained behind their backs.
These deportations occur amidst efforts by the Trump administration to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, targeting members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which the State Department has classified as a terrorist organization.
This approach, however, has met with legal challenges, leading to a federal judge in Washington halting deportation flights while legal matters were resolved. The White House stated that, at the time of the ruling, the migrant detainees were already in international airspace.
In a display of defiance, President Bukele responded to the arrival of the migrants with a social media post saying, “Oopsie … Too late,” signaling a rather controversial stance on the matter.
Source
www.yahoo.com