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yesterday

Freed Venezuelan Detainees Describe Torture at El Salvador Prison and File U.S. Complaint

A $1.3 million administrative claim outlines physical, psychological, sexual abuse suffered by deportees sent under the Trump administration’s revived Alien Enemies Act.

Image
Soldiers stand guard as unseen US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 26, 2025.
Migrants deported months ago by the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown arrive at Simon Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Overview

  • The July 18 prisoner exchange returned over 250 Venezuelan migrants from El Salvador’s CECOT facility to Venezuela in exchange for ten Americans held in Venezuela.
  • Former detainees report overcrowded cells with contaminated water, routine beatings, sexual assault and prolonged starvation at the mega-prison.
  • Gay makeup artist Andry Hernández Romero and former soccer coach Jerce Reyes Barrios have publicly recounted physical, sexual and psychological abuse during their four-month detention.
  • Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel filed a $1.3 million claim with the Department of Homeland Security, alleging wrongful deportation without due process under the Alien Enemies Act.
  • Human rights organizations and survivors are calling for comprehensive investigations and accountability for U.S. officials responsible for summary deportations and prison abuses.