El Salvador has put forward a proposal to take in convicted criminals from the United States—regardless of whether they hold U.S. citizenship—and incarcerate them in its state-of-the-art mega-prison.

The offer came following U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to the country, where he met with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. Bukele has transformed El Salvador from one of the world’s most violent nations into one of the safest, largely through his aggressive crackdown on gang violence, particularly targeting the notorious MS-13 street gang. His no-nonsense approach, while heavily criticized by some international media outlets, has remained overwhelmingly popular domestically, securing him an 84% landslide victory in the 2024 presidential election.

Rubio expressed deep appreciation for Bukele’s proposal, calling it an “unprecedented gesture of friendship.” He stated, “He has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those with U.S. citizenship and legal residency,” while acknowledging that the U.S. cannot forcibly transfer its own citizens to foreign prisons without due legal process.

Bukele later confirmed his offer on X, writing, “We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee.”

He further explained that “the fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison sustainable.”

El Salvador’s maximum-security facility, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), is designed to hold up to 40,000 inmates. Under Bukele’s administration, thousands of suspected gang members have been arrested and placed in the facility, though some families claim their relatives were wrongly detained. Despite these criticisms, the crackdown remains widely supported by the Salvadoran public.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accused Bukele’s government of replacing gang violence with “state violence.” However, Bukele has brushed off these concerns, citing his overwhelming electoral mandate as proof that Salvadorans back his policies.

El Salvador was the second stop on Rubio’s first official international tour as Secretary of State. His trip began in Panama, where he urged “immediate changes” to counter China’s growing influence over the Panama Canal.

On Tuesday, Rubio is set to visit Costa Rica and Guatemala, where discussions will likely focus on illegal immigration and strategies to curb Beijing’s expanding presence in the region. His diplomatic efforts align with President Donald Trump’s broader agenda to accelerate the deportation of illegal immigrants, a plan he has described as “mass deportations.”