PRODUCTION: PBS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
PRODUCTION COUTRY: Costa Rica, Mexico, USA
DATE: 2026
LENGTH: 54′
DIRECTED BY: Juan Ravell

An investigation into the controversial deal between Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. Three months into Trump’s second term, Bukele opened the doors of CECOT, his country’s notorious prison, to deportees the Trump administration had detained and accused of being gang members. Through interviews, leaked documents and prison records, FRONTLINE and reporters from El Salvador’s news outlet El Faro investigate what lay behind the deal, uncovering evidence of secret negotiations and agreements that raise questions about the true motives behind the deportations.