Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that El Salvador’s offer to house American criminals in its prison system is “very generous” but could face “legalities.”
“There are obviously legalities involved. We have a constitution,” Rubio said at a press conference in San Jose with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
“But it’s a very generous offer,” he continued. “No one’s ever made an offer like that. And to outsource, at a fraction of the cost, at least some of the most dangerous and violent criminals that we have in the United States.”
Rubio announced on Monday that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele offered to house in his country’s prison system “dangerous American in custody in our country, including those of U.S. citizenship and legal residents.”
The country would continue accepting deported Salvadorans, who were living in the U.S. illegally as well as members of international criminal gangs MS-13 or Tren de Aragua, both of which President Trump has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
In exchange, Bukele — known for his aggressive approach to tackling gang violence in his country — would accept a fee from the U.S. government.
“We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee,” Bukele wrote on the social media platform X Monday night.
“The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable,” he added.
Since taking office, Bukele has cracked down on gang violence in his country, but his approach has been controversial, with some critics levying accusations of civil rights violations.
Some have also expressed concern about the conditions in El Salvador’s prisons, which the State Department describes as “harsh and dangerous.”
The U.S. government does not have the authority to deport American citizens, calling into question the legality and feasibility of Bukele’s offer. Rubio acknowledged that reality in his remarks Tuesday.
“Obviously, the administration will have to make a decision,” he said.
