US Pays $8.7 Billion to El Salvador for Deportations... "Peanuts Compared to the Risk"

White House spokesperson reveals details at regular briefing
"Very small amount compared to cost and risk to life"
Controversy continues over violation of court's deportation halt order

On the 16th (local time), over 260 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization 'Tren de Aragua (TdA)' and others deported from the United States to El Salvador were transferred under local police surveillance to the massive prison "Anti-Terrorism Center" located in Tecoluca. / Reuters · Yonhap News

The U.S. Donald Trump administration revealed that it paid approximately $6 million (about 8.7 billion KRW) to El Salvador to detain Venezuelan nationals suspected of being gang members, in exchange for forcibly deporting them. The Trump administration has faced criticism for violating a court's 'deportation halt' order.

White House spokesperson Caroline Ribbit stated this during the White House daily briefing on the 17th (local time), claiming that the $6 million was "pennies on the dollar" compared to the cost of detaining them within the United States. She added, "Considering the cost and the risk to life of housing them in the U.S.'s highest-security prisons, this amount is very small."

The forced deportation included 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) and 21 individuals known to be affiliated with the international gang MS-13. They were transported to El Salvador on a total of three planes.

In the U.S., controversy arose because the Trump administration effectively proceeded with the deportations despite a court injunction. At the time of their deportation, James Boasberg, a federal judge in Washington D.C., had issued a 'temporary stay of deportation' order. According to reports from The New York Times (NYT) and others, Judge Boasberg's decision was made orally at 6:45 p.m. and in writing at 7:26 p.m. on the 15th.

Two planes carrying the deportees departed from Harrington near the Texas detention center at 5:26 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., respectively. These two planes transited through Honduras around 7:37 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. before proceeding to their final destination, El Salvador. Separately, a third plane left Harrington at 7:37 p.m. on the 15th and flew the same route to El Salvador. According to documents submitted to the court by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others, these flights took place after Judge Boasberg orally issued the temporary stay order, which included instructions to turn back the planes if necessary.

The legal battle between the U.S. courts and the government is expected to continue for the time being. Judge Boasberg requested the Department of Justice to provide an accurate report by noon on the 18th on whether his temporary stay order had been enforced by the federal government.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.