At approximately 2 a.m., a caravan of 22 buses, including armored vehicles and police, departed from the airport. Soldiers and police stationed along the 25-mile route to the prison formed dense patrols at bridges and intersections. For the handful of Salvadorans, this was a familiar sight. But for a Venezuelan taken from America, it must have seemed post-apocalyptic—endless police and military presence in the darkness of the woods.

The Terrorism Confinement Center, also known as CECOT, is a notorious maximum-security prison located on an old farm field at the foot of an ancient volcano. It stands out brightly against the night sky. Having spent a considerable amount of time there, I am well-acquainted with the place. As we entered the intake yard, the head of prisons was giving instructions to a gathering of hundreds of guards. He informed them that the Venezuelans had attempted to overthrow their plane, thus urging the guards to be highly vigilant. He explicitly stated: Make it clear to them that they are not in control.