Families of Venezuelan deportees held in El Salvador’s infamous Cecot prison can petition the Salvadoran government for their release – but the fruitfulness of that process is an open question in a country accused of arbitrary detention by rights groups and even the US State Department.

By Nelson Renteria, Brendan O'Boyle and Raul Cortes SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -The U.S. has sent hundreds of mostly Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador to be held without trial in a controversial mega-prison known for its harsh conditions.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration deported hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, where they are being held in a maximum security mega-prison called the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT).