Nayib Bukele meets with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as Trump attempts deportation of large numbers of “dangerous” offenders.

Marco Rubio reported that Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s millennial leader, had offered to take in migrants and “dangerous” criminals deported from the United States, at his country’s notorious mega-jails.

Mr Rubio is currently on his first overseas trip as US Secretary of State. He said that this included deportees from any country, including violent American citizens who are imprisoned within the US.

The top American diplomat wants Central American countries to support the Trump administration in its efforts to deport large numbers migrants.

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Mr Rubio and Mr Bukele met for nearly three hours at the residence of Mr Bukele on Lake Coatepeque, outside of the capital. They agreed to extend the acceptance of El Salvadorian citizens deported to the United States to all migrants.

“Any… illegal immigrants in the United States that are dangerous criminals – MS-13 or Tren de Aragua (criminal gangs), whatever it may be, he’s offered his jails.” “We can send them, and he’ll put them in his prisons,” Rubio said.

“He’s offered to do the exact same thing for dangerous criminals who are currently in jail and serving their sentences here in the United States even though they are US citizens or legal resident.”

In a posting on X, Mr Bukele confirmed that El Salvador had “offered to the United States of America an opportunity to outsource a part of their prison system”.

The president stated that his country would only accept “convicted criminals”. He would also charge a fee “that would be relatively low for US, but significant for us. This would make our prison system sustainable.”

We have offered to the United States of America an opportunity to outsource a part of their prison system.

In exchange for a small fee, we are willing to accept only criminals who have been convicted (including U.S. citizens).

The fee would be relatively low for… pic.twitter.com/HTNwtp35Aq

Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele), February 4, 2025

Elon Musk, a billionaire who is working with Donald Trump to reform the federal government, said on his X platform: “Great Idea! !”.

A US official responded to Mr Rubio’s remarks by saying that the Trump administration has no plans at this time to try and deport American citizens. However, they said Mr Bukele’s offer is significant. US officials cannot deport American nationals and any such move would face significant legal challenges.

Mr Rubio wants to ensure that the US can send migrants back home to their countries. He is also trying to get “third-country” agreements in place, where nations will accept citizens from other countries who won’t accept deportees.

Cuba and Venezuela have, for example, frosty relationships with the US, and have limited the number deportees that they will accept in the past, despite Mr Trump’s claim that Nicolas Maduro has agreed to accept Venezuelan citizens back.

Similar agreements regarding the deportation migrants have been promoted in Europe. This includes Britain’s failed Rwanda program and Italy’s agreement with Albania which is currently being challenged by the courts.

Rubio added that Mr Bukele had also offered to take it a step farther: to house dangerous criminals, who were US citizens or legal residents.

The US did not respond to the offer immediately. He added that more details about the agreement will be released.

Under Mr Bukele, El Salvador’s “Terrorism Confinement Centre”, or so-called mega jail, has attracted a lot of attention. The 410-acre facility was built in 2023, and can hold up to 40,000 prisoners. Inmates shaved and tattooed crowded together in cramped quarters, one behind another, on the floor.

According to the website of the US State Department, prison conditions in El Salvador can be “harsh and deadly”.

The website states that “overcrowding is a serious danger to the health and safety of prisoners.” In many prisons, sanitation, potable drinking water, ventilation and temperature control are either inadequate or non-existent.

The Trump administration views Mr Bukele as a key ally for its migration efforts in this region.

El Salvador’s president launched a ruthless security crackdown, arresting over 80,000 people and drastically reducing the number of murders.

Washington credits his policies with reducing the number Salvadorans who try to enter the US without permission.

Since assuming office on January 20, Mr Trump increased the number of migrants that the US deports back to Latin America. He has also used military planes as repatriation flights.

On Monday, the Trump administration removed protection from deportation for hundreds of thousands Venezuelans living in the US.

Last week, Mr Trump said that he would expand a detention center at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo, Cuba, so it could hold 30,000 prisoners.