El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has intensified his campaign against dissent, invoking a recently adopted Foreign Agents Law and ordering the 11 June arrest of constitutional lawyer and government critic Enrique Anaya on money-laundering charges. Human-rights groups, including Freedom House, say the detention is part of a broader effort to muzzle journalists, activists and legal advocates such as Cristosal attorney Ruth López. U.S. politicians have begun to protest the crackdown. Senator Chris Van Hollen accused Bukele of dismantling democratic safeguards, while Representative Mark Takano condemned a Trump administration arrangement that would channel millions of dollars to the country’s 40,000-bed CECOT mega-prison, a facility faulted by watchdogs for widespread abuse. A ProPublica investigation released 12 June adds to the pressure, reporting that senior Salvadoran officials impeded a long-running U.S. probe of the MS-13 gang even as President Donald Trump publicly praised Bukele as a crime-fighting partner. The report says the two leaders celebrated an April Oval Office agreement to transfer MS-13 members from U.S. custody to CECOT, despite concerns about due-process violations. Analysts warn that Bukele’s alliance with Washington is emboldening the Salvadoran leader as he curtails civil liberties at home. Rights groups are urging the United States to condition future security and financial cooperation on measurable improvements in rule-of-law and human-rights standards.