Concerns are growing online after satellite images surfaced showing El Salvador’s massive prison facility, where hundreds of individuals — including some deported from the US — are now being held.
Though unverified, social media users have speculated about the images, suggesting disturbing activities may be occurring inside the prison.
The facility, officially known as the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT), is considered the largest prison in the Americas and can house up to 40,000 inmates. It has gained a notorious reputation for detaining violent gang members and mass murderers.
Since Donald Trump returned to office in January, more than 250 alleged criminals have been deported to CECOT. One of the most talked-about cases is Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father who was mistakenly deported to the prison despite a 2019 ruling that protected him from deportation due to gang threats in his home country.
Satellite imagery showing parts of the prison has gone viral, with some users claiming they saw what looked like “blood stains” or piles of suspicious material. However, BBC Verify journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh clarified that the viral image was taken in March 2024 — before Trump’s latest deportation policies were in effect — and that the dark areas were more likely to be mud, dust, or construction materials.
Sardarizadeh emphasized that while the imagery itself doesn’t prove any wrongdoing, it doesn’t negate the serious concerns about prison conditions.
“There is plenty of reporting already available about the harsh environment and lack of due process faced by inmates in CECOT,” he noted.