Gang “Concentration Camp” Super Prison Fills With First Inmates
This is the chilling moment that thousands of the world’s most dangerous gang members are moved to a new uncrackable super prison built with the assistance of Spanish engineers.
The specially built jail – in El Salvador – will house 40,000 of the most violent prisoners linked to the country’s deadly gangs.
Footage of a batch of 2,000 inmates was released by El Salvador justice officials to show the harsh conditions in the new super-secure prison.
Prisoners will be watched round the clock at the Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) by 250 police officers and 600 heavily armed soldiers.
Footage of their arrival shows the heavily tattooed, shaven-headed inmates wearing just white shorts with their wrists and ankles shackled with heavy chains.
As they run from their prison bus to the jail, they are flanked by guards in full riot gear and others armed with assault rifles.
Inside the jail, they are ordered to sit in rows so close that each prisoner has to put his legs around the one in front.
Then they are run into their new cells heads down and with their hands cuffed behind their backs.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said in a statement: “This day (Wed), in a new operation, we transferred the second group of 2,000 gang members to the Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT).
“With this, there are already 4,000 gang members who inhabit the most criticised prison in the world.”
The video – posted by President Bukele – shows the transfer from the Izalco Prison to the CECOT at dawn on 15th March.
During the transfer, 1,200 soldiers provided on-ground security, accompanied by three Air Force helicopters.
The group joined the initial 2,000 inmates who were taken to the mega-prison on 24th February.
The jail has been denounced by numerous human rights organisations for its severe confinement regime.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that the maximum security prison is really a “concentration camp.”
Equipped with high technology for surveillance, the gigantic prison was inaugurated at the beginning of February by President Bukele.