The Daily — “Trump Sent Them to a Notorious Prison. Torture Followed.”

Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Michael Barbaro
Guest/Reporter: Julie Turkewitz

Overview

In this troubling episode, The Daily investigates the fate of roughly 250 Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration from the US to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Through in-depth reporting by Julie Turkewitz and her Venezuelan colleagues, the episode reveals harrowing claims of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse—amounting to torture—inside the prison. The episode explores the men’s experiences, the political machinations behind their transfer and release, and the broader moral and legal implications for the US.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Deportation and Imprisonment (01:23–04:56)

• Turkewitz recounts how, in March, about 250 Venezuelan men were deported to a feared Salvadoran prison, accused of being gang-linked terrorists, without trial or public evidence.
• Family members and lawyers in both Venezuela and the US desperately sought information, facing government stonewalling.
• Journalists could only identify the deportees through leaks; names and alleged crimes were withheld.

“It was the most indelible image in President Trump’s mass deportation campaign because it felt the most unfamiliar and kind of brutal.” — Michael Barbaro (02:30)

2. Reporting Breakthrough and Investigative Methods (04:56–06:47)

• A diplomatic breakthrough leads to the men’s eventual release and repatriation to Venezuela in July.
• Turkewitz and a team conduct in-depth interviews with 40 of the released men, gathering medical reports and photographic evidence of abuse.
• Their testimonies are cross-referenced and corroborated, evidencing widespread and systematic torture.

“What emerges is this pretty clear and very consistent account of widespread abuse among the men inside the prison.” — Julie Turkewitz (05:40)

3. Case Study: Luis Elixin Chacon (07:00–13:22)

• Luis, a Venezuelan father, fled economic hardship, worked as an Uber Eats driver in Milwaukee, and was arrested after a minor traffic stop—he had some prior legal issues but nothing linked to terrorism or gangs.
• Tattoos and scars led US officials to label him—without evidence—a gang member, a key criteria used for selecting deportees.
• Upon arrival in El Salvador (after being misled about his destination), he was processed through humiliating, violent rituals and threatened with ominous warnings:

“This is hell. You will leave here only in a body bag.” — Statement to Luis upon arrival (13:19)

4. Prison Conditions and Abuse (14:55–21:25)

• Detainees were held 10 to a cell, forced to drink and bathe with the same cistern water, and systematically denied medical care.
• Noteworthy cases: A diabetic man denied crucial insulin, another near death with no care (“It is time to die.”).
• Physical abuse was relentless: beatings, restraints, forced kneeling (“grua”—the crane position) for hours, and lifting/injuring through handcuffs.

“Many of the men spoke about a position they called the grua position... kneel for hours... handcuffed behind their backs... lifted by the handcuffs to put pressure on their shoulders and backs.” — Julie Turkewitz (17:04)

• Psychological desperation led some to write their pleas in blood, culminating in a rebellious outburst after a particularly savage beating.

5. Riot, Repression, and Torture Intensify (19:00–22:31)

• Following a brutal search and beating, inmates staged a short-lived revolt—guards retaliated with rubber bullets and worsened abuse.
• Some injuries were severe, such as a man with a bullet wound in his face and another in the thigh, both documented by journalists.
• Survivors reported extra-punitive actions in the prison’s “island” (la isla) isolation cell, including forced drowning (“head dunked in water”) and sexual assault.

“These men say that ‘the island’ is really the place where some of the most depraved acts occurred.” — Julie Turkewitz (21:40)

6. Lack of External Oversight (22:31–24:34)

• Detainees were almost entirely cut off from outside contact, with only two visits: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and the Red Cross (whose findings remain private).
• Mental trauma became so severe, suicide attempts and collective despair were routine.

“Were it not for these men, mis compañeros, I would not be here today telling you the story that I’m telling you.” — Luis Chacon (24:34)

7. Verification and Corroboration (25:15–26:27)

• An independent forensic nonprofit reviewed testimonies, photos, and medical reports, finding them credible and consistent with the UN’s definition of torture.

“Much of the abuse that was described met the United Nations definition of torture.” — Julie Turkewitz (26:20)

8. Legal and Moral Questions (26:27–32:59)

• The men were deported and tortured despite no legal findings of terrorism; only one US federal judge ever touched their case, and an order to stop deportations was ignored.
• The men’s eventual release was brokered by Venezuela, exchanging them for 10 detained US citizens.
• Despite public reports warning of torture in Salvadoran prisons, the US government knowingly proceeded.

“They knew.” — Michael Barbaro, on US awareness of torture in Salvadoran prisons (30:36)

• Turkewitz and Barbaro reflect on how America, after condemning post-9/11 torture, has now — albeit outsourced — committed similar acts, yet public outrage is muted.
• Administration response dismisses the reporting, refocusing on “children killed by vicious illegal aliens”—a tactic to change the narrative.

“Our response is, who cares? Which is very striking.” — Michael Barbaro (32:44)

9. Ongoing Trauma & Aftermath (33:01–34:40)

• Freed men like Luis now live separate from family, suffering severe psychological and physical trauma reminiscent of PTSD—“zombies,” trouble sleeping, haunted by flashbacks.

“They talked about not being able to sleep and when they do sleep, experiencing a sensation of feeling like they’re back in the prison.” — Julie Turkewitz (34:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is what will happen to you if you come to the United States illegally.” — Julie Turkewitz, on the intended message of the deportations (02:41)
• “Their names were never released... It began to feel like a pretty endless black box.” — Turkewitz (03:30-04:05)
• “We are not criminals. We are migrants.” — Message written in blood by detainees (17:48)
• “I don’t think they believed they had any other options.” — Julie Turkewitz, on desperate protest methods (18:35)
• “It’s hard to imagine that US officials did not have some idea that something like this was going to happen inside the Salvadoran prison.” — Julie Turkewitz (30:08)
• “How far, basically, are Americans willing to go for migration deterrence?” — Turkewitz (31:06)
• “The legal door is still open for the Trump administration to continue sending people to El Salvador and to this prison...” — Julie Turkewitz (32:56)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:23] – Introduction to the investigation by Julie Turkewitz
• [07:00] – Luis Elixin Chacon’s personal story begins
• [13:19] – Arrival at the prison: “This is hell...”
• [15:03] – Prison conditions and lack of medical care
• [17:04] – Torture methods described (the “crane position”)
• [18:25] – Self-harm and protest inside cells
• [19:00] – Descent into violence, the riot, and further punishment
• [21:27] – “La isla” isolation cell and sexual abuse
• [25:15] – Corroborating evidence and independent forensic review
• [26:27] – Legal questions, lack of process, and American responsibility
• [33:01] – Life after release: trauma and dislocation

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a somber, urgent, and unsparing tone. Both host and reporter grapple openly with the gravity of the revelations and the moral weight they carry, especially in contrast to America’s stated values and public memory of torture scandals. Turkewitz’s account is clinical yet empathetic, letting the trauma and resilience of survivors speak for itself.

Summary:
This episode exposes a deeply troubling story of political expedience and human suffering at the intersection of US immigration policy and international human rights, raising urgent questions about legal process, government accountability, and national conscience. The reporting is direct, thorough, and underscores the ongoing cost to the men ensnared in this policy and to the ideals America professes to embody.