Tecoluca megaprison

Inaugurated by the President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele in January 2023, this prison is claimed to be the biggest in North America capable of housing 40 thousand inmates. (visible only on historical i.e. latest satellite image)

The Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), often referred to as the "megaprison," is a maximum-security facility located in Tecoluca, El Salvador. Inaugurated in January 2023, it was constructed to detain individuals associated with the country's notorious gangs, particularly Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18.

Each of the 256 cells within CECOT is designed to accommodate approximately 156 prisoners. The cells are equipped with four-level metal bunks without mattresses or sheets, two toilets, and two washbasins. The facility is surrounded by multiple layers of high walls topped with barbed wire, and it is monitored by 19 guard towers, ensuring stringent security measures.

In March 2025, the U.S. government, under the Trump administration, deported 238 Venezuelan migrants to CECOT, labeling them as terrorists and gang members. However, investigations revealed that approximately 75% of these individuals had no known criminal records.