Donald Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem paid a visit to the hundreds of gang members at the notorious hellish El Salvador mega prison, who have been deported as part of the President’s immigration crackdown. The glamorous boss walked down the nightmarish Terrorism Confinement Center known as CECOT under the gaze of the skinhead gangsters, escorted by a brigade of security personnel.
The 53-year-old glam but ruthless Kristi Noem arrived at the prison on Wednesday, stunning inmates with her slim, fit long-sleeve and flowing hair peeking under a baseball cap. The quarters were holding 250 suspected Tren de Aragua, and MS-13 gang members have been locked up after being deported by the United States. The hellish cells were already occupied by 15,000 other inmates.
Noem was escorted by her security personnel carrying heavy assault rifles. The brigade kept the prisoners in line as the deported skinheads obediently gazed back at Noem and her team of Homeland Security. Gustavo Villatoro, El Salvador’s security and justice minister, guided Kristi and her group through the overcrowded quarters filled with inmates, many of whom are suspected gangbangers Donald Trump kicked out of the U.S.
Addressing violent criminals, who have plans to flee to the United States, Noem said, “We are in several other countries around the world with a message right now that’s saying if you are thinking of coming to America illegally, don’t do it. You are not welcome.”
I toured the CECOT, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center.
President Trump and I have a clear message to criminal illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW.
If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadorian prison. pic.twitter.com/OItDqNsFxM
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 26, 2025
After the prison tour, the glamorous Homeland Security boss met with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. They had a chat about the increasing amount of U.S. deportees who are bound to end up in the overcrowded cells of CECOT.
This visit was a part of Kristi’s three-day Latin America tour in order to discuss the increasing organized crime flowing to America. Next, she is set to fly to Colombia and then Mexico, ending her business trip with meetings with both nation’s respective leaders.
The infamous CECOT is known for its inhumane conditions. It is located 47 miles south of El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador. Launched in 2023, the stuffy cells with metal bunks of this prison hold up to 70 people, all of whom spend 23 and a half hours a day inside. They eat, bathe, and use the toilet in these same overcrowded quarters. For meals, they are provided with beans and pasta, while for sleeping, their metal bunks have no sheets, mattresses, or pillows. The bunks usually pile four levels high.
Fox News describes the situation in El Salvador prison:
“It’s known for its awful conditions. They spend 23½ hours in those cells. Each cell has 70 people. They eat, bathe and use the bathroom in front of each other. The bunks are four levels high. The bunks have no sheets, no… pic.twitter.com/kydEzujzTc
— Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) March 27, 2025
The inmates also use one communal basin for drinking and another one for bathing. In addition, they are usually allowed 30 minutes of indoor exercise time but not allowed to go outside at all. Some of these prisoners will never be able to see the sun again, given their brutal life sentences.
Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, launched this controversial center to combat the surging wave of gangbangers in his country. Back in February, Bukele reached a negotiation with the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to house Tren de Aragua deportees at this prison. Although the exact cost has not been revealed, Rubio said that El Salvador is charging the United States a “relatively low” fee for this exchange.
