- 8 months ago
CECOT is not just a prison — it's a maximalist expression of containment: one that enables extreme isolation, constant surveillance, and dehumanizing treatment. Built to be escape-proof and cutting off inmates from all societal ties, it's drawn both harsh criticism and uneasy admiration. While El Salvador touts drops in violence and public safety gains, the price of human rights and legal norms has sparked intense international scrutiny.
Would you like to explore firsthand accounts, policy debates, or comparisons to other maximum-security prisons next?
Would you like to explore firsthand accounts, policy debates, or comparisons to other maximum-security prisons next?
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00:00What you see behind me is the world's strictest and largest prison.
00:03This mega prison has a capacity of 40,000.
00:06Prisoners here are the most unsafe people you can even imagine.
00:09How many people's lives have you ended?
00:11Is it 5 or 10?
00:13How many?
00:13More than 50.
00:15MS-13 and many other gangs.
00:18These are animals.
00:19These aren't people.
00:20They're psychopaths, sociopaths.
00:22The kind of people we have here.
00:24We are about to see the worst of the worst.
00:26Welcome to Seacock, the world's largest prison by capacity in El Salvador,
00:30which was constructed to imprison the highest-profile criminals.
00:34Those who enter this prison are destined never to leave alive.
00:37There's no way out.
00:39How are you going to come out of this?
00:40The reason why this small country of 6 million needs the largest prison is the gangs.
00:46Who are you?
00:46Yes.
00:48Once dominating the country, these gangs faced a dramatic crackdown starting in March 2022.
00:56Under President Nayib Ukele's administration, over 70,000 individuals,
01:01about 2% of the country's adult population, were arrested within just 16 months.
01:07Buses transported thousands of chain gang members to Seacock in a tightly coordinated nighttime operation.
01:15Sitting one behind the other, heads lowered, they looked like a single mass.
01:20Surrounded by armed guards, none of them dared to resist commands.
01:24Their life has changed in a day.
01:29In this documentary, we will interview one of them.
01:32One of the most ruthless gang leaders, known by the nickname Psycho.
01:36Ten minutes. You only have ten minutes.
01:37Built in 2022, this massive prison is made up of eight separate modules spread over 410 acres of land.
01:45Each pair of modules is enclosed by two separate 3-meter-high walls with razor wire.
01:50The entire facility is surrounded by a towering 9-meter-high wall with a 3-meter-high electric fence carrying 15,000 volts.
01:5819 watchtowers are ensuring nothing escapes notice.
02:02The entire design doesn't just prevent escape, it erases the very idea of it.
02:07Hello.
02:07Hello, we have permission from the presidency.
02:14The soldiers stopped us.
02:16We're hoping this will be the last checkpoint.
02:18The jammers blocked all signals within a 2-kilometer radius of Seacock, completely cutting off all communication.
02:24Over 600 soldiers work only to secure the perimeter.
02:28We are going to leave all of our belongings here before entering the prison.
02:32We will only carry our cameras and microphones, that's it.
02:36Pass slowly.
02:38Look at the camera.
02:40The body scan.
02:42I forgot my wedding ring off.
02:43Well, that needs to be put away over there.
02:45This high-capacity x-ray scanner even shows bones and internal organs.
02:50It's mainly used to scan newcomers, ensuring no one tries to sneak in anything forbidden on their body before entering.
02:57The inmates used to swallow some objects, or they would try to bring them invaginally or anally.
03:04Micro SD memory cards, microchips, and not only that, even phone charges.
03:10Another thorough body search has been conducted.
03:13Take off your shoes.
03:16They even inspected inside our socks.
03:18It took us around one hour just to pass through security, even though we were invited as media after months of applying.
03:25Guards are wearing masks because they're doing a risky job here.
03:30So if they get identified, it might be riskier for them to go to town centers because these gangs have a lot of connections.
03:36So they have to keep their identity secret.
03:39Why don't you wear a mask?
03:41I have to talk to them face to face, looking them in the eye.
03:44They already know who I am.
03:46We're in the registration room.
03:48This area is for inmates only.
03:49When a criminal is captured on the street, they don't carry ID or give their real name.
03:54That's why their fingerprints and photographs are taken here to enroll in the system.
03:59Once they become a permanent part of Seacott, the inmates lose all contact with loved ones for the rest of their lives, as family visits are strictly forbidden.
04:07It's also important to note that a small number of innocent people were mistakenly imprisoned during the big crackdown.
04:13Because of the no-contact policy, their families have no idea where they are or if they are still alive.
04:19For some, this documentary could be their first chance to see a missing loved one.
04:25Before entering the modules where the inmates are, we visit the armory of the prison.
04:29This section is a must in case of possible riots, and these convicts are the most unsafe people on earth.
04:34The type of firearm we use is a T-65 rifle, similar to the M-16 rifle.
04:40We also have this other firearm, which is a 12-gauge shotgun.
04:47A SIG Sauer rifle allows us to maneuver in spaces that are too tight to move.
04:52Whenever criminals are arrested and dragged to the bus, various cuffs and chains are used to restrict their movements and minimize the risk of harm to officers.
05:01Has there ever been a riot?
05:03So far, there have been no escape attempts.
05:05We have the worst of the worst within criminal organizations here.
05:10The riot gear consists of a head protection, a face shield, neck protection, an anti-trauma vest, leg protectors, shin guards, and, of course, a shield.
05:19Generally, in the prisons we see inmates invent any kind of handmade weapon, like awls or knives.
05:27They are fully protected. You can see how he protects his feet.
05:31Since this prison is so large, we have to hop on this bus.
05:35We are entering the module area.
05:38To keep the country safe, 1,000 staff members work inside C-Cont.
05:42It is impossible, but let's just imagine that an inmate get out of the fortress.
05:47These pebbles that you see are put here intentionally because when they walk on these pebbles, it works like an alarm system.
05:55It makes a noise. They cannot sneak away.
05:58Have they tried to escape? No.
05:59Could they try? Difficult.
06:02Because they would have to go through a series of security rings.
06:05C-Cont was built with its own infrastructure in an isolated area,
06:09including an electrical and sewage system, to prevent external interference.
06:13In case of an electricity cut or water supply issue,
06:17the cisterns and power plants will maintain operations for up to a week.
06:22I'm so excited.
06:23We're going to be face to face with the most dangerous criminals in the world.
06:27It is pretty tense.
06:29We are entering one of the modules now.
06:31You are seeing the third and fourth modules next to each other.
06:35An offender who enters one of these buildings never exits through these doors.
06:38In a few steps, we'll be surrounded by more than 2,500 inmates.
06:48It's like stepping in the middle of controlled chaos.
06:51This is so intense.
07:04Their eyes are all on me, following my every step.
07:07Getting an eye contact with them.
07:11There are so many of them.
07:13Most are barely out of their early 20s and convicted of serious offenses.
07:29Even the most infamous criminals in history have an average of 20 to 30 proven victims.
07:34But here, some of the inmates are responsible for hundreds of innocent people's lives.
07:39Can I ask the inmates something?
07:40No, no, no.
07:41If you have any questions, I can answer them for you.
07:44If they try to communicate with me now, what are you going to do?
07:47I'm not going to allow them.
07:48They know from them that subsequently there may be a penalty for not abiding by an instruction.
07:53I'm curious to know which of these group leaders I'll be interviewing.
07:56It is forbidden for us to pass this yellow line because these are one of the most dangerous human beings on earth.
08:03Without the bars between us, everyone knows exactly what could happen.
08:08There are 32 cells in every one of the eight modules making up the mega prison.
08:12Each cell holds around 80 inmates, but the number can go as high as 150.
08:17Despite not being at full capacity, the inmates only have 0.5 square meters of personal space each.
08:23Prisoners do not have any ventilation rights or courtyards to walk outside their cell.
08:28Each inmate here has been given one of the longest sentences you can even imagine in your life.
08:34The only thing that doesn't change that all these inmates will never get outside.
08:38They will never see sunlight.
08:40The only people are authorized to get inside and outside are the personnel and sometimes media like us.
08:47They will never ever leave this building.
08:49If you see their look, you can see the emptiness in their soul.
08:53They don't have any hope towards future.
08:55They look very robotic.
08:57Their life is so monotone.
08:59This open corner is their toilet area.
09:02They have like two toilets for 80 inmates.
09:05It's literally humiliating, these inmates.
09:08Their whole confidence is disciplined here.
09:11The same place where they use the toilet is also where they take showers.
09:14To clean themselves, they use plastic dippers in a single shared basin.
09:20There's no running water in the cells, so the prisoners have to rely on one blue barrel for drinking water.
09:26Where they sleep is these metal bunks.
09:29No pillow, no mattress.
09:30Each prisoner receives just the bare essentials, a white sheet, a uniform, socks, slippers, and a towel.
09:38That's it.
09:38The prisoners spend their entire days on their four-level bunk beds.
09:42They have stacked tightly, like items stored in a warehouse.
09:45As part of hygiene and order, inmates are shaved every two weeks by personnel.
09:50Long hair or beards aren't just unhygienic.
09:52They can also hide sharp objects.
09:54Let's take a look.
09:55Take off your shirt and line up here.
09:57Now they are taking their shirts off.
09:59These inmates were once part of the MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs, which controlled the neighborhoods of El Salvador.
10:06These two rival gangs spent years extorting money from locals and causing great suffering to Salvadorans.
10:12There is Barrio 18, MS-13 gangs, all together in one cell.
10:17That's right, just like that.
10:18The entire module is the same.
10:19They all live like this.
10:21Outside, entering each other's neighborhood could mean being torn apart.
10:24Yet here, they are side by side until their last breath.
10:28How do they live without attacking one another?
10:30They have to learn how to live together.
10:32Here, they are in a prison.
10:33They are not on the street.
10:34Most of the inmates have tattoos covering their entire bodies, even including their faces, showing their loyalty structure.
10:41For MS-13, tattoos often include initial letters or the number 13.
10:46Members of the other gang use symbols like 18 or 666, which add up to 18 and symbolize the devil, or they use Roman numerals.
10:55Having gang tattoos on one's face is a clear sign that they are one of the most ruthless and high-ranking members of the organization.
11:03Crossing paths with such a person on the street is the same as staring death in the face.
11:08A spiderweb tattoo represents being caught in the web of justice and serving a long prison sentence.
11:13The devil horns tattoo is a dark symbol that represents these individuals' worship of the devil.
11:19Some even claim that they carried out their actions under the devil's command.
11:23A teardrop tattoo signifies that the person has ended someone's life.
11:28The number of teardrops indicates how many lives they've taken.
11:31If there are three teardrops, it suggests that the tattoo's owner has taken so many lives that they've lost count.
11:37With the phrase, laugh now, cry later, these masks or clown tattoos send a clear message.
11:43Stay strong in the face of hardship now and deal with the consequences later.
11:47Are all these people truly bad?
11:49They're on another level.
11:50High-profile criminals who will never change their mentality.
11:54If you look at the upside, there's a catwalk area.
11:58Guards consistently watch over the inmates from this elevated spot above the cells.
12:03If anything suspicious occurs, they will intervene while an extensive network of cameras observes every corner 24-7,
12:10ensuring nothing goes unnoticed.
12:12The modules are kept lit all day and night for monitoring.
12:15When the sun goes down, the lights stay on all the time.
12:19They are constantly being observed.
12:21I think this is one of the hardest things.
12:23When they try to sleep, they use their towels and cover their eyes to block the light.
12:29Preacher here is teaching some of the important lessons from the Bible to the inmates.
12:34They're doing physical exercise over here.
12:36There's a trainer there.
12:38This is the only time these inmates get out of their cells.
12:41These activities take place for a total of one hour per week, under the watch of armed guards.
12:47For the rest of the time, they are locked inside.
12:49They used to control the streets.
12:51Now, they can't even take a step with their free will.
12:54It's a rotating schedule.
12:55There's not enough space, so they can't all go out on the same day.
12:58Has there ever been a chaotic incident when these inmates were outside of their cells?
13:03So far, nothing.
13:04Whenever we focus the camera on a cell, we often catch a prisoner silently mouthing words.
13:09Even behind bars, gang members attempt to send orders to the outside.
13:13This prisoner was doing just that, but we censored him to block the message.
13:17Despite the crackdown, these groups still hold significant power outside.
13:21Rumors suggest they have plans for taking revenge by targeting innocent people.
13:25But in response, the authorities threaten to impose even harsher measures on imprisoned members.
13:29If they do that, there won't even be one meal in prison.
13:33I swear to God, they won't eat a grain of rice.
13:36Let's see how long their homeboys last inside.
13:38Here they get three meal times.
13:40Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
13:42Breakfast is usually beans and rice.
13:45For lunch, they get white rice and pasta.
13:49And dinner's pretty much the same.
13:51The only thing that changes is the drink.
13:54There's no nutritious food like chicken or meat.
13:58This is the lunch.
13:59It's rice, pasta, and two tortillas.
14:02Does the menu vary from day to day?
14:04No.
14:05Is it the same every day?
14:06It's always the same.
14:07It's for freshmen.
14:08Okay.
14:10This is sugary drink.
14:12I'm going to taste it for myself.
14:15Inmates must eat with their hands and clean their plates before returning them.
14:18With a diet lacking in protein, many likely suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
14:23Before starting our interview with an inmate,
14:25I want to show you one more place that is even more extreme than what you've seen so far.
14:29Here we are in the isolation cell area.
14:34If inmates break a rule, they can be sent to these isolation cells according to the legislation.
14:40The law gives me the right to keep the prisoners in isolation for up to 15 days.
14:45These cells have sealed doors.
14:47Through this grid, I can see them and identify who's inside.
14:54We serve food here, and we also use this space to put handcuffs on them before opening the door to move them from here to their cell.
15:04Welcome to the isolation cell.
15:08If an inmate misbehaves, this is where he ends up.
15:11He won't know the time or how much longer he'll be kept inside.
15:14For days or even weeks, he sleeps on this concrete bed without ever leaving.
15:19They are cut off from the outside world, left alone with nothing but their thoughts.
15:23This is where they supply their water.
15:28There's a water basin here.
15:30They take their water here, and this is where they pee.
15:34The basin for drinking water in the toilets are located side by side.
15:38The toilet looks recently used and dirty, suggesting that this cell has recently been used.
15:44The only light they have is this little hole that barely lets the sun shine in.
15:48This openness is also the sole source of fresh air.
15:54What is the most challenging thing about isolation room, according to you?
15:57Inside, you don't even see your hands.
15:59So when someone is isolated, it is necessary for them to have something, a book, anything, to keep their mind clear.
16:05But here, they don't have access to any of that.
16:08No matter how tough a criminal is, this kind of isolation breaks them.
16:11This is necessary for the type of offenders that we have here.
16:15People who once played God by deciding who would live and who wouldn't live, deserve the worst punishment.
16:20We don't show them mercy.
16:22They can ask for forgiveness, and may God forgive them.
16:24But here, justice must be served for so many victims, and it's the least they deserve.
16:28Now we're going to interview the inmate, known as Psycho.
16:31He has a 34-year criminal history, and has spent the last 25 years as a high-ranking member of an organization.
16:39Ten minutes. You only have ten minutes.
16:41Twelve guards are barely enough to ensure the safety around this inmate.
16:45Remove the mask.
16:47What is your name?
16:48My name is Marvin Ernesto Medrano-Vasquez.
16:50How old are you?
16:51I'm 41 years old.
16:52You don't look 41. You look younger, like 35.
16:55That's a good thing that you told me, because I feel old.
16:58Can I see your tattoos?
17:03I'm 13.
17:05When did you join this crime organization?
17:07In 2004. I started my criminal record since I was 11 years old.
17:12How did you first become involved?
17:14When somebody's born with just a mom, and the mom is working, you look for the streets.
17:18You look for somebody to help you out.
17:20I said, wow, my mom's poor. I need some shoes. I need some clothes.
17:24And I started robbing.
17:25Then I need a father figure, because I didn't grow up with my father.
17:28And then I looked at the group of gangs.
17:30Then I did a homicide, and I came right here to El Salvador.
17:34Trying to change my life, but I think that there are more gangs right here.
17:38And I started doing the same thing I did upstate.
17:40And I got locked up.
17:41I've always been one of them persons that wanted to accomplish the things that they put in their minds.
17:46And I accomplished everything I had to do right here.
17:50But I'm right here.
17:51This is how the devil pays the people.
17:53Yeah.
17:54Is it true that to join this crime organization, you need to end someone's life?
17:58Yeah.
17:58But the first one must be one of your relatives, right?
18:01Yeah.
18:01Yeah.
18:02Because you got to gain territory for your gang.
18:05I lost my mom, my dad, my son.
18:07Everything right here because of the gangs.
18:11When I could be with my family, hey, upstate, the United States, a better life.
18:16But, you know, we took wrong decisions, and this is the cause of this.
18:20That's why I tell the youth, hey, go to school, listen to your mom, listen to your dad.
18:24Don't live this life that we live right here.
18:26There's no way out.
18:27How many people's lives have you ended?
18:29Is it five or ten?
18:30How many?
18:31No, if you talk about what you used to do in the jails after, it probably get a few, more than 50.
18:41You got to do it sometimes.
18:43How did you become cold-blooded and merciless in time?
18:47I can't really respond you with that question.
18:50How do you feel about not seeing your family forever since you're in sick out?
18:54I feel bad because I seen my son the last time when he was five years old, and I'm, I'm, he's 21 years old.
19:03Right now, I want to see him.
19:05I want to tell him, hey, don't do the same things that your dad did.
19:08Look for a good life.
19:09People who have fallen victim because of you will never see their loved ones again.
19:14You will also never see your family.
19:16How do you cope with emotions like missing someone?
19:19I feel bad.
19:19Sometimes, like I tell you, I lay down on my bed, and I think a lot of things, and I, sometimes I cry.
19:24What is your motivation to stay alive here?
19:27To one day change my life, and look for God in my life, and, and I tell God, hey, forgive me.
19:33Forgive me because I did some things.
19:35Okay.
19:37Finally, we see the sunlight.
19:39Honestly, Secar is a place you would never wish to end up in, even as a visitor.
19:43But for the people who victimized Salvadorans, it is now their forever home.
19:47These criminals took the innocent people's right to live, and now they are paying for it.
19:51The Salvadoran government's message is clear.
19:54Crime is no longer tolerated, and the punishment is severe.
19:58El Salvador once had the highest rate of lives lost due to widespread chaos.
20:02During its peak, 104 out of every 100,000 people lost their lives in a single year.
20:07Previous administrations agreed to a truce with these groups, but this couldn't bring lasting order.
20:13Although the current government's methods are controversial,
20:15by 2023, the number dramatically dropped to 2.4 per 100,000 people.
20:22Placing El Salvador among the safest countries in the world for the first time.
20:26So far, the results are undeniable.
20:28Peace has returned to the neighborhoods.
20:30But what about those who were wrongfully imprisoned?
20:33Is it true justice or a way to control chaos?
20:35Are we seeing a lasting solution or just a temporary fix?
20:39For now, the answer remains unclear, and the world continues to watch.
20:43Thank you for watching this documentary.
20:45See you in the next one.
20:46Don't forget to subscribe.
20:48Ruhi Chenet was here.
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