Bukele Obstructed U.S. MS-13 Probe, Diverted USAID Funds, Blocked Extraditions Amid Trump Praise and Dropped Prosecutions

New investigations and reports reveal that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and senior officials in his government have obstructed a long-running U.S. investigation into the MS-13 gang. Despite President Donald Trump's public praise of Bukele as a crime fighter and their 2025 Oval Office meeting celebrating a deal to transfer gang members to El Salvador's CECOT prison, evidence shows a more complex relationship. U.S.

agents suspected Bukele and his inner circle of diverting USAID funds to MS-13 leaders and sought to examine U.S. bank accounts linked to 15 Salvadoran political figures, including Bukele and relatives. The Salvadoran government reportedly used state institutions, including the Supreme Court, to block extradition of MS-13 leaders wanted in the U.S., with Bukele's advisers instructing judicial officials to delay or prevent these actions. Secret meetings allegedly offered MS-13 leaders political power and financial incentives in exchange for lowering homicide rates and supporting Bukele's party. The Bukele administration also harassed Salvadoran law enforcement officials cooperating with U.S. anti-gang efforts, forcing at least eight to flee the country with U.S. assistance. Critics highlight that tens of thousands have been jailed under Bukele's crackdown, often on flimsy or nonexistent evidence. The Trump administration's friendly ties with Bukele reportedly led to dropping prosecutions against MS-13 leaders being returned to El Salvador to avoid exposing the alleged corrupt pact. Bukele defends detaining 1.5% of El Salvador's population, citing a 98% reduction in crime. Additionally, Bukele's prison chief reportedly offered U.S. officials information and evidence about these secret agreements in 2020 in exchange for asylum. This emerging narrative challenges the public portrayal of Bukele as a decisive crime-fighting leader and raises concerns about corruption and the undermining of U.S. legal efforts against MS-13.