From my time in central America, it is a top down shakedown operation for literally anything and everything. Very pragmatic people really. They will profit both ways, coming and going. That's the key thing the senator from Maryland forgot when he thought he could reason with them from a sense of justice.

They're going to want favors or money. I knew why the senator failed as soon as he said it, he should have talked to literally anyone with family in a former Spanish colony before he went down there.

Bukele is extremely intelligent. His service is underpriced, based off memos only $20k / person / year and in a nearly brand new maximum security prison. I sincerely think he may have known just how stupidly the US would execute this and will come prepared with demands for their release -- secretly and in a way that we will not find out. Even if he has to wait for the next administration. He knows our courts and much of the public will put politicians under fire for this.