El Salvador Faces Allegations of Disappearing Deported Nationals—HRW
The group, based in New York, gathered testimonies from 20 relatives and legal representatives connected to 11 Salvadorans who were deported from the US between mid-March and mid-October last year. These individuals reported losing all contact with their family members shortly after they were taken into custody upon arrival in El Salvador, with no information available regarding their condition or location.
According to reports, the administration of US President Donald Trump has maintained that many of those detained are linked to the transnational gang Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) or have criminal backgrounds in the United States.
As part of this claim, US officials disclosed the identity of one detainee, Cesar Humberto Lopez Larios (“El Grenas”), who is known as a leader within MS-13. However, there has been no verified evidence presented by either US or Salvadoran authorities connecting the remaining deportees to criminal groups.
The report further indicated that an analysis of data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed that only 10.5% of approximately 9,000 individuals deported and detained since January 2025 had been convicted of violent offenses.
Family members interviewed also described unsuccessful attempts to locate their relatives through the ICE Online Detainee Locator System. Efforts to obtain information within El Salvador were similarly unsuccessful, with authorities reportedly denying such requests.
“Whatever the criminal history of these Salvadoran men, they have a right to due process, to be taken before a judge, and their relatives are entitled to know where they are being held and why,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch.
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