El Salvador Shifts Responsibility for Detained Migrants to U.S. in UN Report

El Salvador has submitted a report to a United Nations (UN) working group, stating that the U.S. is responsible for over 200 migrants deported to its high-security mega-prison, CECOT, often referred to as “the hell on earth.” The report, presented on Monday, contradicts previous statements by the U.S. administration, which claimed it could not retrieve the migrants because the prison falls under El Salvador’s jurisdiction.

The Salvadoran government, in its report, emphasized that the responsibility for these migrants lies with the U.S., citing international agreements and principles of sovereignty and international cooperation in criminal matters. The report was submitted in response to a UN Human Rights Council Working Group inquiry into the disappearance of four Venezuelan men allegedly sent to El Salvador in March.

El Salvador clarified that its actions were limited to providing prison infrastructure under a $6 million bilateral agreement with the U.S., which allows for the detention of migrants deported from the U.S. on suspicion of gang affiliation. The report also stated that Salvadoran authorities did not arrest, detain, or transfer the individuals in question.

The U.S. has yet to release a list of individuals sent to El Salvador, and the case of the missing Venezuelans remains under investigation by the UN working group.

El Salvador has informed a UN working group that the U.S. is responsible for migrants deported to its high-security mega-prison, CECOT, known as “the hell on earth.” The report contradicts U.S. claims that it cannot retrieve the migrants due to jurisdictional issues. El Salvador emphasized that its role is limited to providing prison infrastructure under a bilateral agreement with the U.S.