what you see behind me is the world's strictest and largest prison this Mega prison has a capacity of 40,000 prisoners here are the most unsafe people you can even imagine how many people's lives have you ended is it five or 10 how many more than 50 MS13 and many other gangs these are animals these aren't people they're Psychopaths sociopaths the kind of people we have here we are about to see the burst of the burst welcome to C the world's largest prison by capacity in El Vador which was constructed to imprison the highest profile criminals
those who enter this prison are destined never to leave alive there's no way out how you going to come out of this the reason why this small country of 6 million needs the largest prison is the gangs once dominating the country these gangs faced a dramatic Crackdown starting in March 2022 under President naib bu's Administration over 70,000 individuals about 2% of the country's adult population were arrested within just 16 months buses transported thousands of change gang members to seot in a tightly coordinated nighttime operation sitting one behind the other heads lowered they looked like a
single Mass surrounded by armed guards none of them dared to resist commands their life has changed in a day in this docu umentary we will interview one of them one of the most ruthless gang leaders known by the nickname Psycho 10 minutes you only have 10 minutes built in 2022 this massive prison is made up of eight separate modules spread over 410 acres of land each pair of modules is enclosed by two separate 3 m High walls with razor wire the entire facility is surrounded by a towering 9 M high wall with a 3 m
High electric fence carrying 15,000 volts 19 Watchtower are ensuring nothing escapes notice the entire design doesn't just prevent Escape it erases the very idea of it hello hello we have permission from the presidency the solders stopped us we're hoping this will be the last checkpoint the Jammers blocked all signals within a 2 km radius of secot completely cutting off all communication over 600 soldiers work only to secure the perimeter we are going to leave all of our belongings here before entering the prison we will only carry our cameras and microphones that's it pass slowly look
at the camera the body SC I forgot my wedding ring off well that needs to be put away over there this high capacity X-Ray Scanner even shows bones and internal organs it's mainly used to scan newcomers ensuring no one tries to sneak in anything forbidden on their body before entering the inmates used to swallow some objects or they would try to bring them inag or micro SD memory cards microchips and not only that even phone charges another thorough body search has been conducted take off your shoes they even inspected inside our socks it took us
around 1 hour just to pass through security even though we were invited as media after months of applying guards are wearing masks because they're doing a risky job here so if they get identified it might be riskier for them to go to town centers because these gangs they have a lot of connections so they have to keep their identity secret why don't you wear a mask I have to talk to them face to face looking them in the eye they already know who I am we're in the registration room this area is for inmates only
when a criminal is captured on the street they don't carry ID or give their real name that's why their fingerprints and photographs are taken here to enroll in the system once they become a permanent part of seot the inmates lose all contact with loved ones for the rest of their lives as family visits are strictly forbidden it's also important to note that a small number of innocent people were mistakenly imprisoned during the big Crackdown because of the no contact policy their families have no idea where they are or if they are still alive through some
this documentary could be their first chance to see a missing loved one before entering the modules where the inmates are we visit the Armory of the prison this section is on must in case of possible riots and these convicts are the most unsafe people on Earth the type of firearm we use is a t65 rifle similar to the M16 rifle we also have this other firearm which is a 12 gauge shotgun a 6our rifle allows us to maneuver in spaces that are too tight to move whenever criminals are arrested and dragged to the bus various
cuffs and chains are used to restrict their movements and minimize the risk of of harm to officers has there ever been a riot int so far there have been No Escape attempts we have the worst of the worst within criminal organizations here the riot gear consists of a head protection a face shield neck protection an anti-t truma vest leg protectors shin guards and of course a shield generally in the prisons inmates invent any kind of handmade weapon like all or knives they are fully protected you can see how protects his feet since this prison is
so large we have to hop on this bus we are entering the module area to keep the country safe 1,000 staff members work inside SE it is impossible but let's just imagine that an inmate get out of the Fortress these Pebbles that you see are put here intentionally because when they walk on these Pebbles it works like an alarm system it makes a noise they cannot sneak away have they tried to escape no did they try difficult because they would have to go through a series of security Rings seot was built with its own infrastructure
in an isolated area including an electrical and sewage system to prevent external interference in case of an electricity cut or water supply issue the systemns and power plants will maintain operations for up to a week I'm so excited we're going to be face to face with the most dangerous criminals in the world it is pretty tense we are entering one of the modules now you are seeing the third and fourth modules next to each other an offender who enters one of these buildings never exits through these doors in a few steps we'll be surrounded by
more than 2,500 inmates it's like stepping in the middle of Controlled Chaos [Music] this is so intense their eyes are all on me following my every step getting an eye contact with them there are there are so many of them and speechless I can't help but feel honees all of them wear white shirts shorts and slippers they don't have any other belongings most are barely out of their early 20s and convicted of serious offenses even the most most infamous criminals in history have an average of 20 to 30 proven victims but here some of the
inmates are responsible for hundreds of innocent people's lives can I ask the inmates something no no no if you have any questions I can answer them for you if they try to communicate with me now what are you going to do I'm not going to allow them they know from them that subsequently there may be a penalty for not abiding by an instruction I'm curious to know which of these group leaders I'll be interviewing it is forbidden for us to pass this year yellow line because these are one of the most dangerous human beings on
Earth without the bars between us everyone knows exactly what could happen there are 32 cells in every one of the eight modules making up the mega prison each cell holds around 80 inmates but the number can go as high as 150 despite not being at full capacity the inmates only have .5 squ M of personal space each prisoners do not have any ventilation rights or Courtyards to walk outside their cell each inmate here have been given one of the longest sentences you can even imagine in your life the only thing that doesn't change that all
these inmates will never get outside they will never see sunlight the only people are authorized to get inside and outside are the personnel and sometimes media like us they will never ever leave this building if you see their look you can see the emptiness in their soul they don't have any hope towards future they look very robotic their life is so monotone this open corner is their toilet area they have like two toilets for 80 inmates it's literally humiliating these inmates like their whole confidence is disciplined here the same place where they use the toilet
is also where they take showers to clean themselves they use plastic Dippers in a single shared Basin there's no running water in the cells so the prisoners have to rely on one blue barrel for drinking water where they sleep is these metal bunks no pillow no mattress each prisoner receives just the Bare Essentials a white sheet a uniform socks slippers and a towel that's it the prisoners spend their entire days on their four-level bunk beds they have stacked tightly like items stored in a warehouse as part of hygiene in order inmates are shaved every 2
weeks by Personnel long hair or beards aren't just unhygienic they can also hide sharp objects let's take a look take off your shirt and line up here now they are taking their shirts off these inmates were once part of the MS13 and bario 18 gangs which controlled the neighborhoods of El Salvador these two rival gangs spent years extorting money from locals and causing great suffering to Salvadorans there is bar 18 MS13 gangs all together in one cell that's right just like that the entire module is the same they all live like this outside entering each
other's neighborhood could mean being torn apart yet here they are side by side until their last breath how do they live without attacking one another they have to learn how to live together here they are in a prison they are not on the street most of the inmates have tattoos covering their entire bodies even including their faces showing their loyalty structure for MS13 tattoos often include initial letters or the number 13 members of the other gang use symbols like 18 or 666 which add up to 18 and symbolize the devil or they use Roman numerals
having gang tattoos on one's face is a clear sign that they are one of the most ruthless and high ranking members of the organization crossing paths with such a person on the street is the same as staring death in the face a spiderweb tattoo represents being caught in the web of justice and serving a long prison sentence the devil Horn's tattoo was a dark symbol that represents these individuals worship of the devil some even claim that They carried out their actions under the devil's command a teardrop tattoo signifies that the person has ended someone's life
the number of teardrops indicates how many lives they've taken if there are three teardrops it suggests that the tattoos's owner has taken so many lives that they've lost count with the phrase laugh now cry later these masks or clown tattoos send a clear message stay strong in the face of hardship now and deal with the consequences later are all these people truly bad they're on another level high-profile criminals who will never change their mentality if you look at the upside there's a catwalk area guards can consistently watch over the inmates from this elevated spot above
the cells if anything suspicious occurs they will intervene while an extensive network of cameras observes every corner 24/7 ensuring nothing goes unnoticed the modules are kept lit all day and night for monitoring When the Sun Goes Down the Lights stay on all the time they are constantly being observed I think this is one of the hardest things when they try to sleep they use their towels and cover their eyes to block the light preacher here is teaching some of the important lessons from the Bible to the inmates they're doing physical exercise over here there's the
trainer there this is the only time these inmates get out of their celles these activities take place for a total of 1 hour per week under the watch of armed guards for the rest of the time they are locked inside they used to control the streets now they can't even take a step with their free will it's a rotating schedule there's not enough space so they can't all go out on the same day has there ever been a CTIC incident when the IM were outside of their cells so far nothing whenever we focus the camera
on a cell we often catch a prisoner silently mouthing words even Behind Bars gang members attempt to send orders to the outside this prisoner was doing just that but we censored him to block the message despite the Crackdown these groups still hold significant power outside rumors suggest they have plans for taking Revenge by targeting innocent people but in response the authorities threatened to impose even harsher measures on impr prison's members if they do that there won't even be one meal in prison I swear to God they won't eat a grain of rice let's see how
long their homeb last inside here they get three meal times breakfast lunch and dinner breakfast is usually beans and rice for lunch they get white rice and pasta and dinner's pretty much the same the only thing that changes is the drink there's no nutritious food like chicken or meat this is the lunch it's rice pasta and two tortillas does the menu vary from day to day no is it the same every day it's always the same it's for freshman okay this a sugary drink I'm going to taste it for myself inmates must eat with their
hands and clean their plates before returning them with a diet lacking in protein many likely suffer from nutritional deficiencies before starting our interview with an inmate I want to show you one more place that is even more extreme than what you've seen so far here we are in the isolation cell area if inmates break a rule they can be sent to these isolation cells according to the legislation the law gives me the right to keep the prisoners in isolation for up to 15 days these cells have sealed doors through this grid I can see them
and identify who's inside we serve food here and we also use this space to put handcuffs on them before opening the door to move them from here to their cell welcome to the isolation cell if an inmate misbehaves this is where he ends up he won't know the time or how much longer he'll be kept inside for days or even weeks he sleeps on this concrete bed without ever leaving they are cut off from the outside world left alone with nothing but their thoughts this is where they Supply their water there's a water bin here
they take their water here and this is where they pee the Basin for drinking water in the toilets are located side by side the toilet looks recently used and dirty suggesting that this cell has recently been used the only light they have is this little hole that barely lets the sunshine in this openness is also the sole source of fresh air what is the most challenging thing about isolation room according to you inside you don't even see your hands so when someone is isolated it is necessary for them to have something a book anything to
keep their mind clear but here they don't have access to any of that no matter how tough a criminal is this kind of isolation breaks them this is necessary for the type of offenders that we have here people who once played God by deciding who would live and who wouldn't live deserve the worst punishment we don't show them Mercy they can ask for forgiveness and may God forgive them but here Justice must be served for so many victims and it's the least they deserve we're going to interview the inmate known as psycho he has a
34-year criminal history and has spent the last 25 years as a high ranking member of an organization 10 minutes you only have 10 minutes 12 guards are barely enough to ensure the safety around this inmate remove the mask what is your name my name is Marvin Ernesto metano Vasquez how old are you I'm 41 years old you don't look 41 you look younger like 35 that's a good thing that you told me cuz I I feel old can I see your tattoos M 13 when did you join this crime organization in 2004 but I started
my criminal record since I was 11 years old how did you first become involved when somebody's born with just a mom and the mom is working you look for the streets you look for somebody to help you out I said W my mom's poor I need some shoes I need some clothes and I started robbing then I need a father figure cuz I didn't grow up with my father and then I I looked the group of gangs then I did a a side and I came right here to a Salvador trying to change my life
but I think that there more gangs right here and I started doing the same thing I did Upstate and I got locked up I always been one of them persons that wanted to accomplish the things that they put in their mind and I accomplished everything I had to do right here but I'm right here this is how the devil pays the people yeah is it true that to join this crime organization you need to end someone's life yeah but but the first one must be one of your relatives right yeah yeah cuz you got to
gain territory for your gang I lost my mom my dad my son everything right here because of the gangs by when I could be with my family hey Upstate the United States a better life but you know we took wrong decisions and this is the cause of this that's why I tell the youth hey go to school listen to your mom listen to your dad don't live this life that we live right here there's no way out how many people's lives ended is it five or 10 how many no if you talk about what you
used to do in the jails after it probably get get a few more than [Music] 50 you got to do it sometimes how did you become cold blooded and merciless in time I can't really respond you with that question how do you feel about not seeing your family forever since you're inout I feel bad cuz I I seen my son the the last time when he was 5 years old and I'm I'm he's 21 years old right now I want to see him I want to tell him hey don't do the same things that your
dad did look for a good life people who have fallen Victim Because of You will never see their loved ones again you will also never see your family how do you cope with emotions like missing someone I feel bad sometimes like I tell you I lay down on my bed and I think a lot of things and I sometimes I cry what is your motivation to stay alive here to one day change my life life and look for God in my life and and I tell God hey forgive me forgive me cuz I did some
things okay finally we see the sunlight honestly seat is a place you would never wish to end up in even as a visitor but for the people who victimize Salvadorans it is now their forever home these criminals took the innocent people's right to live and now they're paying for it the Salvadorian government's message is clear crime is no longer tolerated and the punishment is severe El Salvador once had the highest rate of lives loss due to widespread chaos during its peak 104 out of every 100,000 people lost their lives in a single year previous administrations
agreed to atuse with these groups but this couldn't bring lasting order although the current government's methods are controversial by 2023 the number dramatically dropped to 2.4 per 100,000 people placing Al Salvador among the safest countries in the world for the first time so far the results are undeniable peace has returned to the neighborhoods but what about those who were wrongfully imprisoned is it true Justice or way to control chaos are we seeing a lasting solution or just a temporary fix for now the answer remains unclear and the world continues to watch thank you for watching
this documentary see you in the next one don't forget to subscribe rui chenet was here
