Tecoluca

Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT)

El Salvador

Status

In use

2025

Type: Prison or pretrial detention centre (Criminal)

Custodial Authority: Not Available

Management: Not Available

Detains: Criminal detainees (convicted or remand), Undocumented migrants (administrative)

Capacity Reported population Deaths at facility
No Data
No Data
No Data
El Salvador

106

Refugees

158

Asylum Applications

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ABOUT

Opened in 2023 amidst a large-scale gang crackdown in El Salvador, the CECOT has capacity for 40,000 criminal inmates, making it one of the largest prisons in the world. In 2025, the facility began to detain deportees from the USA following an agreement between the Trump administration and the El Salvadoran government.

NEWS & TESTIMONY
2025

On 3 February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that El Salvador's President Bukele had agreed to confine both "dangerous American criminals" and "violent illegal immigrants" in the CECOT. On 15 March, it was annou [...]

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FACILITY NAMES
Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT)

Alternative Names: Terrorism Confinement Center

Location

Country: El Salvador

City & Region: Tecoluca, Americas

Latitude, Longitude: 13.533774974389411, -88.80443448799964

MANAGEMENT & BUDGET

Center Status
Status
Year
In use
2025
Facility type
Category
Type
Year
Criminal
Prison or pretrial detention centre
2025

DETAINEES

Categories of detainees

Name Criminal detainees (convicted or remand)

2025

Name Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2025

SIZE & POPULATION

LENGTH OF DETENTION

OUTCOMES

CONDITIONS

CARCERAL INDICATORS

STAFF

SEGREGATION

CELLS

COMMUNAL SPACE & ACTIVITIES

HEALTH

MONITORING & ACCESS

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

NEWS & TESTIMONY

2025

On 3 February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that El Salvador's President Bukele had agreed to confine both "dangerous American criminals" and "violent illegal immigrants" in the CECOT. On 15 March, it was announced that 261 migrants–mostly Venezuelan–had been deported from the USA and confined in the prison complex for a one year term.