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Once a focal point of fascination on platforms like YouTube, the CECOT prison in El Salvador has transformed into a controversial symbol of Americas shifting stance on immigration and law enforcement. Some view CECOT as a tool for making threats against immigrants in the U.S., while others see it as a chilling emblem of the countrys drift toward authoritarianism. This notorious facility, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, has captured the attention of young male influencers who specialize in extreme and dangerous travel experiences.

In January 2025, one YouTube video boldly claimed, Well test your limits and see if you have what it takes to survive Latin Americas biggest prison. These influencers often create content that showcases perilous neighborhoods, remote tribal lands, chaotic night markets, and extreme environments. Their videos invite audiences to delve into what they call HELL ON EARTH, where they encounter the most evil criminals and explore the psychological resilience of individuals enduring such brutal conditions. Opening its doors in 2023, CECOT is constructed to house approximately 40,000 prisoners, designed not just to imprison but to create a sense of hopelessnesscrafted as a one-way trip where no inmates are expected to return alive.

The notoriety of CECOT surged into the American public sphere in March 2025, following a controversial decision by the Trump administration to deport 238 migrants directly to the Salvadoran megaprison without trials, breaching court orders to do so. Family members of the affected individuals described many of the men coerced into CECOT as innocent, asserting that they were wrongfully identified as gang members due to their tattoos. The U.S. government even acknowledged that some deported individuals had no criminal records. Among the deportees was Andry Hernandez Romero, a makeup artist whose profile sharply contrasted with the tough gang stereotypes perpetuated by Trump and El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele. In a particularly troubling case, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was sent to CECOT due to an administrative error admitted by the government. This facility has instilled fear among immigrants in the U.S., with Trump even alluding to the possibility of sending American citizens there.

Once a site of curiosity for adventurous YouTubers, the CECOT prison has become a chilling spectacle. Built to house the worlds most dangerous criminals, it was conceptualized to dismantle entire gangs. For many influencers, videos filmed within the prison have become some of their most popular content, tapping into a morbid fascination with the extreme conditions depicted therein.

Many of these content creators are men who have built their careers on travel and lifestyle vlogs, often featuring sensational and catchy titles like Surviving with the LAST TRIBE that EATS HUMANS, or Scammed in the WORST RESTAURANT OF MADRID. Samuel Woolley, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies computational propaganda, notes that even prior to the CECOT's rise in political discourse, these videos mirrored a trend where political entities are increasingly leveraging influencers to sway public opinion. This trend extends beyond figures like Trump inviting right-wing influencers to the White House; more apolitical influencers are also being courted for their extensive audiences.

These influencers have been compelled to deliver ever more extreme content to maintain their followers engagement. When their interests align with those of a self-styled authoritarian like Bukele, it gives rise to a bizarre scenario: influencers testing high-security systems, tasting the prison meals, trying on shackles, and playing with the acoustics of solitary confinement cells, all while ignoring the grim reality faced by the incarcerated men, who are effectively lost to the world.

As Woolley observes, Many influencers would like to claim, Im not political, Im just showing content for engagement. However, their actions can become political acts, easily manipulated by governments for propaganda. Influencers hail from diverse backgrounds, reaching vast audiences worldwide. A Saudi influencer boasts 16.3 million followers, while a Turkish YouTuber has 13.5 million followers, and a Mexican creator has amassed 44 million subscribers. Their personas are designed to attract broad appeal, often presenting controversial issues without taking a firm stance. Despite their claims of merely documenting a situation, they reduce the consequences of an authoritarian campaign targeting those facing potential lifetimes of punishment without due process to mere sensational entertainmentan engaging video to binge before moving on to the next trending topic.

CECOT itself reflects Bukeles grand ambitions, a response to the rampant gang violence that has plagued El Salvador for decades. In 2022, Bukele launched an extensive police crackdown on the countrys two primary gangs, placing constitutional rights on hold and arresting thousands of individuals, many based solely on their tattoos. Such indiscriminate actions have often led to chaotic mass trials. Bukeles authoritarian tactics, including a highly publicized incident in 2020 when he sent troops to the Salvadoran parliament to intimidate lawmakers and subsequently filled the Supreme Court with loyalists, have made him a popular figure among citizens who have long suffered under gang rule. Proponents of Bukele often highlight the governments claim that El Salvador has transitioned from having the worlds highest murder rate to one of the lowest.

However, CECOT is not the only disturbing prison under Bukeles rule. Amnesty International has criticized the government for replacing gang violence with state-sanctioned violence, including reports of torture and abuses within prisons. The organization has also claimed that at least 132 individuals who had not been convicted of any crimes have died in state custody. Nevertheless, CECOT stands as Bukeles ultimate political statementa monument to his ruthless campaign against gang violence.

The images emerging from the CECOT prison are indeed striking. Influencers who visit often showcase inmates clad in white prison uniforms, their bodies inked with tattoos, their heads shaved, and crowded together in cells, presenting dull expressions. These images are potent visual content that resonates with viewers, showcasing the stark reality of a life stripped of hope. As one influencer accurately stated, The worlds most dangerous gang leaders are just a few steps away.

The prisoners within CECOT have little hope of ever seeing natural light again; the only illumination they may experience will filter through small gaps in the ceiling. They receive a mere half-hour of exercise daily and otherwise are confined to their cramped cells, which house around 70 other individuals. In these cells, they lack basic comfortsno mattresses, no blankets, no privacy, and only meager bathing water. Meals consist of rice, beans, and tortillas, consumed with their hands. Family members and lawyers are denied visitation rights, and bright lights glare down incessantly, amplifying the discomfort of their bleak existence.

You can see the emptiness in their soul, remarked Turkish influencer Ruhi Cenet in his February video, which has garnered 96.6 million views. They hold no hope for the future. Some influencers have attempted to broach the ethical dilemmas surrounding the prison. Cenet acknowledged that a small number of innocent people had been mistakenly imprisoned, highlighting the families left in anguish, unaware of their loved ones fates. Other content creators have pointed out the need to address the societal issues that contribute to gang proliferation, asserting that not all those imprisoned are culpable of heinous crimes.

However, many influencers who documented their visits largely portrayed the prison in a positive light. A Costa Rican influencer, for instance, claimed in his January 2025 video with 16 million views, I felt a great relief knowing that these people can no longer cause harm, after detailing the supposed crimes of the imprisoned gang members. Similarly, a Greek YouTuber asserted that every person in the facility had committed murder, dismissing human rights concerns as irrelevant since gangs had never respected the rights of El Salvadors citizens.

Seeing these images, its easy to be moved, to clutch your heart and say, Wow, what harsh mistreatment there is inside the prison, remarked a prominent Mexican creator known as Luisito Comunica, whose February 2024 video pulled in 56 million views. But when you learn about the human atrocities they have committed, it all makes sense.

For Bukele, the influencers narratives, whether controversial or not, seem to serve his objectives. Ricardo Valencia, a former press officer at the Salvadoran Embassy in Washington, notes that Bukele thrives on social media attention and seeks to establish himself as an international figure. Its a necessity for him, an obsession, Valencia explained. As for Bukeles strategy, it appears he is tapping into a global online far-right audience.

When CECOT was completed, Bukeles government released a promotional video showcasing the prisons scale, featuring drone shots and footage of mass arrests. In March, following the deportation of Venezuelan migrants, Bukele shared a video on X, highlighting the arrival of the deportees, who were treated brutally by masked guards and forced to submit to humiliating rituals.

As Valencia noted, this aligns with the horror-themed narrative propagated by the MAGA administration, which has consistently highlighted the dangers posed by migrants and the strength of U.S. law enforcement. Adrienne Russell, co-director at the Center for Journalism, Media, and Democracy, observes that Bukeles messaging aligns with a far-right internet culture that is unapologetically brutal and dismissive of human rights concerns.

Though these content creators often suggest they worked hard to gain access to CECOT, the reality is that they were welcomed in, with Bukele seeing no risk in showcasing the harsh conditions of his prison. This is a strategy, Russell emphasized. Its not random; they were invited and provided information.

Slate reached out to the influencers to understand their motivations for touring CECOT, and only one responded. Timmy Karter, a Greek influencer, claimed he was not invited or compensated, and noted that none of the prison authorities spoke English during his tour, allowing him to express his thoughts freely. He described the experience as unprecedented freedom for storytelling while exploring a deeply concerning environment.

While media outlets have also been granted access to CECOT, their reporting is guided by journalistic ethics, unlike YouTube influencers who are not bound by such standards. When told that every prisoner had committed serious crimes, these content creators lack any mandate to verify such claims.

Its no surprise that Karter, who specializes in exploring dangerous locales, was drawn to CECOT. Even food and travel vloggers might find the draw irresistible: its the largest, newest, and most brutal prison in the regionperfect for clickbait titles.

Woolley notes a troubling trend among influencers, who are increasingly drawn to extreme and sensational content to generate views, including activities that implicitly endorse human rights violations in facilities like CECOT. One influencer, Nick Shirley, stood apart from the rest during his visit in July last year, as he boasts a considerably smaller audience yet garnered attention due to Bukele promoting his video on social media. Shirleys content is explicitly political, addressing topics like confrontations with anti-Elon protesters and critiques of Democratic politicians.

His video from CECOT, while similar in content to others, was less polished. However, after returning to the U.S., he appeared on Fox News, where he described encountering some of the worst people roaming the Earth right now inside the prison. Dismissing concerns about whether some deportees were wrongly imprisoned, he argued that visible tattoos were sufficient evidence of guilt. His segment concluded with an enthusiastic, Lets go, El Salvador.

Shirley represents a new breed of right-wing influencers who express overt sympathy for authoritarian figures. Within the U.S., many have praised Bukeles hardline tactics; some have even suggested he should be the Republican presidential candidate in 2028. Bukele has branded himself as the worlds coolest dictator, and his policies have garnered admiration from pro-Trump influencers.

Both Bukele and Trump have recognized the power of YouTube influencers in shaping public perception. Bukele shared Shirleys CECOT video and another praising his prison program, which has drawn criticism in comments likening it to slave labor. Following his tour, Shirley was also present during Bukeles visit to the White House, using the opportunity to create humorous memes and content.

As deportations ramped up, the focus shifted from influencers to politicians and journalists visiting CECOT. Kristi Noem, for example, flaunted her wealth with a $50,000 watch during her tour, asserting that CECOT is a deterrent for illegal immigrants. Other Republican lawmakers followed suit, while Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen faced obstacles when attempting to see Abrego Garcia, ultimately managing to do so only after the inmate was transferred to a different facility. Recently, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer denied requests from Democrats to visit CECOT, while four Democrats traveled to El Salvador but did not visit the prison. Bukele capitalized on this political theater by reposting comments on X questioning the denial of visits from Democratic representatives.

It seems the days of YouTubers freely visiting CECOT without political ramifications are fading. Now, the narrative is dominated by politicians framing the prison as either a valuable asset in the fight against criminal immigrants or highlighting the horrors of the Trump administrations reckless deportations.

For countless Americans initially introduced to CECOT through sensational YouTube content, the emotional weight of learning about the fates of deported immigrants may be lost. Instead of grappling with the human rights abuses occurring within CECOT, they have witnessed it through the lens of influencers enthralled by tattoos, murder myths, and the prisons intimidating facade. These creators acknowledged the human rights issues, yet chose to gloss over them, reducing CECOT to a mere trivia point or an intriguing solution to a complex issue, all fodder for online discussions in the comments.