The New York Times alleges a secret deal between El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and the MS-13 gang. Bukele allegedly offered privileges to incarcerated MS-13 leaders in exchange for reduced homicide rates. Bukele denies these accusations.
The article reveals that Bukele requested the repatriation of MS-13 leaders from US custody to El Salvador, ostensibly for interrogation. This request, according to experts, aimed to prevent these leaders from testifying in US courts about the alleged pact.
US authorities agreed to deport some high-ranking MS-13 members to El Salvador, including César Humberto López-Larios, who faced narcoterrorism charges. However, some US officials expressed alarm at the prospect of returning MS-13 leaders facing charges in the US.
The article connects Bukele's request to a broader agreement where the US paid El Salvador to house Venezuelan migrants. This deal, according to the report, was seen by Trump's administration as a cost-effective way to carry out deportations.
Douglas Farah, an expert on El Salvador, stated that Bukele's primary goal was to return the MS-13 leaders before they could testify in US courts.