West Virginia Congressman Riley Moore recently toured a maximum-security prison in El Salvador that has become a focal point for detaining individuals deported from the United States — a visit that has drawn both praise and backlash online.
Moore, a Republican representing West Virginia’s northern counties, shared images on social media from his visit to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a facility known for housing some of El Salvador’s most dangerous inmates. In one of the photos, Moore is seen flashing a thumbs-up while standing near prison cells packed with inmates.
“I leave now even more determined to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our homeland,” Moore wrote in his post following the April 15 visit.
CECOT has gained international attention due to its harsh conditions and its role in detaining not only convicted Salvadoran criminals but also individuals deported from the U.S., including those alleged — but not proven — to have gang affiliations. Moore claimed some of the prisoners had recently been deported from the U.S. and were considered extremely violent.
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The Trump administration has partnered with the Salvadoran government in a $6 million agreement that includes deporting alleged gang members to the CECOT facility. Many of these deportees are believed by Salvadoran authorities to be affiliated with the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua gang. However, the U.S. government has yet to publicly release the names or specific evidence connecting the deportees to the gang or to any crimes committed while in the United States.
One such detainee, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia — a Maryland-based father of three and sheet metal worker — is being held at CECOT after being mistakenly deported. Abrego Garcia has no criminal record and denies allegations linking him to gangs. He came to the U.S. in 2011 seeking refuge from threats by the Barrio 18 gang in El Salvador. Authorities claimed he was a gang member based on a now-discredited 2019 interview by a suspended officer and his clothing, which included a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie.
In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ordered the Trump administration to take steps to return Abrego Garcia to the United States.
Moore’s visit has stirred intense public reaction, especially on social media, where he was both criticized and applauded. While some commenters accused him of political grandstanding and insensitivity, others, including Jill Upson — West Virginia’s executive director of both the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs and the Women’s Commission — voiced support.
“Thank you, Congressman Moore, for standing up for the victims of violent crime,” Upson wrote on Moore’s Facebook page.
Despite the controversy, Moore’s visit underscores ongoing debates about immigration enforcement, deportation practices, and the treatment of suspected gang members — especially when questions arise about due process and wrongful removals.