Senator Van Hollen Alleges Trump-Bukele Deal on MS-13 Cases and Deportations

Allegations of a Trump-Bukele Deal

• 📌 Senator Van Hollen outlines reports suggesting a deal between President Trump and El Salvador's President Bukele regarding MS-13 gang members.
• 🤝 The alleged agreement involved President Trump ordering federal prosecutors to drop pending charges against MS-13 members in U.S. custody.
• 🏠 In exchange, President Bukele reportedly agreed to imprison individuals deported from the U.S. in El Salvador's CECOT prison, potentially violating due process rights.

Concerns Over Dropped Cases and Deportations

• ⚖️ Van Hollen argues that dropping charges prevents crucial testimony and evidence from surfacing in U.S. trials regarding collusion between MS-13 and the Bukele government.
• 🗣️ This silencing of potential witnesses is seen as a significant blow to efforts countering organized crime and political collusion.
• ✈️ The practice sends a dangerous message to U.S. law enforcement, undermining ongoing cases against gang members.

El Salvador's Government and International Partnerships

• 📉 Reports from Al Farro indicate Bukele's officials made deals with MS-13 to reduce homicides in exchange for prison privileges and political support.
• 🚫 The U.S. Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on two senior Bukele officials in 2021 for their roles in these deals.
• 🏃‍♂️ A 2023 DOJ indictment revealed the Bukele government assisted an MS-13 leader in avoiding extradition to the U.S., providing him with a luxury apartment and aiding his escape.

Unreliable Partnerships and Rule of Law

• ⚠️ Blocking extraditions and aiding fugitives makes President Bukele an unreliable partner in fighting transnational crime, according to Dr. Felbab.
• 📈 Corruption and operating outside the rule of law, especially when criminal negotiations yield political advantages, are serious concerns for partnership effectiveness.
• 📢 Effective anti-organized crime efforts must be consistent with human rights and civil rights, fostering civil society, investigative journalism, and oversight.

Persecution of Journalism and Human Rights Groups

• 📰 Salvadoran newspaper Al Farro, which has reported on these issues, faces heavy persecution and harassment from Bukele's government.
• 🚫 The human rights organization Christosal recently left El Salvador due to fear of retaliation for its anti-corruption reporting.
• 🌍 Corruption undermines efforts to combat gang violence, ultimately putting more Americans at risk.