Venezuelan Detainees Sue US Government Over Alleged Torture in El Salvador Prison

Newly released Venezuelan men, formerly held in El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), have initiated legal action against the U.S. government, alleging unlawful detention and severe abuse. The first complaint, filed Thursday by Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, claims physical, verbal, and psychological torture and asserts that the U.S. government should have secured his release.

The lawsuit, supported by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Democracy Defenders Fund, is expected to be followed by more legal challenges. These developments come just days after approximately 250 Venezuelan men, accused by the Trump administration of being Tren de Aragua gang members, were released from CECOT on July 18th as part of a prisoner swap with the United States.

Detainees, including Andry Hernandez Romero, Jerce Reyes, and Andry Blanco Bonilla, have provided harrowing accounts of their four-month imprisonment. Allegations include brutal beatings, denial of basic necessities, and psychological torture, with one man, Andry Hernandez Romero, describing sexual assault. Many of the men deny any gang affiliation, arguing they were unfairly targeted and denied due process.

Despite the Department of Homeland Security declining to comment on the complaint, a U.S. Department of Justice attorney stated in a status hearing Thursday that the men could be brought back for immigration or habeas proceedings if a lawful order is issued. The former detainees are now demanding justice from both the Trump administration and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, while grappling with the lasting psychological trauma of their experience.

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