Lawyers say El Salvador blocks access to detained Venezuelans

Salvadoran police officers escort an alleged gang member who was deported by the U.S. along with others the U.S. alleges are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, at the El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador April 12, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - Lawyers challenging the incarceration in El Salvador of more than 200 Venezuelans deported by the U.S. said the Salvadoran government is denying the prisoners access to attorneys and contact with the outside world.

Under an agreement with the Salvadoran government, President Donald Trump's administration in March sent 238 Venezuelans to its Terrorism Confinement Center, the largest prison in Latin America, as part of a crackdown on immigration.