On social media, many viewers were stunned after a mystery mound at an El Salvador prison sparked conspiracy theories.
A mysterious dirt mound spotted at an El Salvadorian prison has sparked conspiracy theories.
It raised concerns about the prison’s operations.
Satellite images reveal unusual mound at El Salvador’s Center for Terrorism Confinement
A recent discovery has stirred intrigue online. Satellite images from March 2025 revealed a large dirt mound at El Salvador’s notorious Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT).
This has prompted conspiracy theories among Reddit users and sparked widespread speculation.
On Reddit, a user shared satellite images from Google Maps showing a mysterious mound at an El Salvador prison, sparking conspiracy theories.
They wrote: ‘This was posted in another group, but I wanted to share here as well.
‘Apple Maps has blurred these, but Google is still live. Tired and true death camp they’ve got there’
Donald Trump’s top advisers shared the satellite images online just days earlier.
Just days after Donald Trump’s top advisers and El Salvador’s president stated there’s no reason to return a wrongly deported Maryland man, satellite images began circulating online.
One user noting that Apple Maps had blurred out the images while Google Maps kept them clear.
This led to claims that the prison, known for its brutal reputation. It might be hiding something ominous within the mound.
Social media reaction
The Trump administration previously criticized El Salvador for wrongfully deporting Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a notorious prison.
One person said: All I see is a rectangle with other rectangles and a circle drawn over one. Can someone please explaint o me please ?
A second wrote: Or digging a grave cuz those prisoners will ever be released. If that’s true the. Their bodies will ever leave the prison grounds and be buried on their prison grounds.
While a third commented: There were plumbing problems and they had to dig a hole to repair a pipe.
Another added: All this technology up there and thats the best pic we get??
They live out the rest of their lives there They are buried there ..they are not releasing the bodies back to their families. Once u go in…you never leave. Someone else said.
To be fair those guys aré really dangerous criminals. Someone wrote.
Concerns grow amid El Salvador’s prison practices and immigration policies
El Salvador’s prison system has long been a topic of concern.
The United States deported over 200 Venezuelan immigrants, accusing them of gang activity and violent crimes, and El Salvador placed them in the CECOT maximum-security prison just outside San Salvador.
The prison’s operations are highly secretive, and no official explanation has been provided for the mound’s purpose. The operations at the prison are primarily indoor, leading to more speculation regarding its function.
Trump’s deportation efforts and the focus on El Salvador’s brutal prison conditions
The discovery of the mound coincided with political tensions regarding deportations.
The Trump administration previously criticized El Salvador for wrongfully deporting Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a notorious prison.
Trump officials emphasized that Garcia, a U.S. citizen, had no place in El Salvador’s prison system.
The CECOT, described as Latin America’s largest prison, houses some of El Salvador’s most dangerous criminals, including members of notorious gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18. Opened in 2023, the prison can hold up to 40,000 inmates.
The prison has eight pavilions, with each holding 65 to 70 prisoners. These prisoners have no visitors and are not provided with any educational or rehabilitation programs. Life inside is harsh, with no daylight exposure, limited privileges, and only occasional motivational talks from fellow inmates.