Recent findings by Human Rights Watch (HRW) have raised significant concerns about the actions of the United States and El Salvador, implicating both governments in the forced disappearances and arbitrary detention of over 200 Venezuelan nationals. On March 15, 2025, a total of 238 Venezuelans were transferred from US detention facilities directly to the Center for Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador, a prison known for its severe conditions.
Following this transfer, these individuals have reportedly been held without any communication, with neither the US nor Salvadoran officials providing detailed information on their status, despite ongoing demands from families and international advocacy groups. HRW has classified these actions as a “grave violation of international human rights law” and raised alarms over the removal of these individuals from any meaningful legal protection.
The US Department of Homeland Security had previously announced the deportation of 137 of these individuals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and 101 under Title 8, stirring significant legal and ethical debate. The Alien Enemies Act, typically invoked in wartime, was justified by alleged affiliations of the deportees with the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua. However, no evidence supporting these claims has been disclosed, and many deportees reportedly had no criminal records.
El Salvador’s state of emergency, which has been ongoing since March 2022, and its institutionalized mass detentions raise further concerns about compliance with international principles, specifically the prohibition against non-refoulement, which prevents transferring individuals to nations where they may face danger. Amnesty International has pointed to multiple human rights violations at CECOT, including overcrowding and lack of medical care.
Given these troubling developments, HRW and Amnesty International have demanded the disclosure of the identities of those detained, the verification of their legal status, and the restoration of communications between detainees and their family members. These organizations have also called on the US to halt further removals to ensure adherence to both domestic and international human rights obligations.