Venezuela says it will investigate El Salvador officials over alleged abuse of Cecot detainees deported from US

Venezuela says it is opening a formal investigation into several Salvadoran officials, including President Nayib Bukele, over the alleged abuse of Venezuelan migrants deported from the US.

Venezuela says it is opening a formal investigation into several Salvadoran officials, including President Nayib Bukele, over the alleged abuse of Venezuelan migrants deported from the US. Some 252 Venezuelans, who had been imprisoned at the notorious Cecot prison in March following their deportation, were released and returned to their home country on Friday in exchange for 10 US nationals and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners, US officials said. Venezuela has previously accused El Salvador of kidnapping the detainees after it agreed with the US to take them into custody. El Salvador claimed the detainees had ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though immigration attorneys, advocates and family members have pushed back on that, claiming in many cases that the detainees had no criminal record. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab held a press conference Monday to address the alleged mistreatment, showing edited footage of some of the detainees talking about their experience at the prison. Saab said officials have gathered 123 complaints of abuse, including reports of sexual assault, torture and beatings by Salvadoran prison guards. In one of the videos, a man says he was sexually abused. In another, several detainees who claim to have been beaten and shot at with pellets and pepper spray show what appear to be bruises and scars all over their bodies.