New investigations reveal that U.S. President Donald Trump praised Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele as a crime fighter, yet senior Salvadoran officials under Bukele's administration have obstructed a U.S. investigation into the MS-13 gang. In April 2025, Trump and Bukele celebrated a deal to transfer gang members to El Salvador's CECOT prison. However, reports indicate Bukele's government used state resources to prevent the extradition of MS-13 leaders wanted in the U.S., with efforts to delay and undermine the process. 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 Bukele, other senior officials, and their relatives. Secret meetings allegedly involved Bukele's emissaries offering MS-13 leaders political power and financial incentives to reduce homicide rates and support Bukele's party. The Salvadoran ambassador to the U.S. confirmed Bukele requested the return of top MS-13 leaders who could expose secret negotiations. Additionally, Bukele's government reportedly harassed and intimidated Salvadoran law enforcement officials cooperating with U.S. anti-gang efforts, leading at least eight to flee the country with U.S. assistance. Investigations by The New York Times and ProPublica uncovered that Bukele's prison chief offered U.S. officials information and evidence about these pacts in exchange for asylum in 2020. Critics argue that Trump's deal with Bukele undermines efforts to dismantle MS-13, effectively protecting gang leaders and covering up corrupt arrangements. Concurrently, Bukele's crackdown on critics and human rights organizations has intensified, forcing the prominent Salvadoran human rights group Cristosal to suspend operations and relocate due to harassment and detentions under Bukele's administration. This crackdown has led journalists, activists, and nonprofits to flee El Salvador amid growing repression.