Why the State Department handed U.S. informants over to El Salvador

By Mary Louise Kelly,

John Ketchum, Marc Rivers

Published October 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM EDT

The Washington Post reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed to return MS-13 informants who were in U.S. custody to El Salvador — to secure access to El Salvador's most notorious prison.

Mary Louise Kelly

Mary Louise Kelly is a co-host of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine.

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John Ketchum

Marc Rivers