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Vera Bergengruen

@verambergen.bsky.social
1.9K followers 107 following 110 posts

National Security Reporter at the Wall Street Journal Talk to me ➡️ vera.bergengruen@wsj.com

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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
NEW: These days, María Corina Machado wakes up at 6 am in a borrowed friend’s apartment in Panama City and pours herself a strong coffee to work. Three months after her first attempt to return to Venezuela was blocked, she’s still here—planning another. Gift link www.wsj.com/world/americ...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Inside Machado’s Plan to Return to Venezuela and Revive Its Democracy
The Nobel laureate is planning her comeback from exile in Panama, setting up a clash with the U.S.-backed interim government.
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Drew FitzGerald @drewfitzgerald.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
“They are seizing it—there’s no other word for it” The Trump admin held months of secret talks to get a piece of Venezuela’s oil reserves, using the Pentagon in an unusual way to structure the transaction: w/ @verambergen.bsky.social et al: www.wsj.com/business/ene...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Inside Trump’s Plan to Give the Pentagon a Stake in Venezuela’s Oil Riches
The deal capped months of secretive negotiations to give the U.S. rights to the some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
NEW: Trump spent months declaring Maduro's ouster secured Venezuela's oil for America. When US oil companies resisted investing, his administration devised an extraordinary solution to turn his vision into reality: make the US government itself an investor through the Pentagon. We have the details.
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
The secret CIA assessment that called for Trump to side with Maduro’s longtime deputy, rather than the democratic opposition, was based on the advice of a former Chevron executive. The oil company stands to profit from Trump’s decision to heed that advice.
wsj.com
He Was Chevron’s Man in Venezuela—and a CIA Informant
After retiring from Chevron, Ali Moshiri warned the Trump administration it would face a morass if it tried to install the democratic opposition.
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Noah Shachtman @noahshachtman.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
A former top Chevron executive was super tight with Delcy Rodriguez. He told the CIA to back her instead of Venezuela's democratic opposition,. The agency told Trump. Now Ali Moshiri is ready to cash in. He's raising $3 billion to get back in Venezuela's oil game. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
wsj.com
He Was Chevron’s Man in Venezuela—and a CIA Informant
After retiring from Chevron, Ali Moshiri warned the Trump administration it would face a morass if it tried to install the democratic opposition.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
NEW: The story behind how the CIA turned to an old friend—a longtime Chevron executive and Delcy Rodriguez fan—for advice on who should run post-Maduro Venezuela. This one is worth your time www.wsj.com/world/americ...
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
NEW: Maria Corina Machado drifted on a skiff in the Caribbean for almost three hours after its GPS fell overboard on rough seas and a backup failed. She didn’t meet the extraction team at a designated pickup point, setting off a scramble to find her. Inside "Operation Golden Dynamite"
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
NEW: Wearing a wig and a disguise, Maria Corina Machado evaded 10 military checkpoints to reach a small fishing skiff that would take her out of Venezuela to Curaçao. The group alerted the US military: “We coordinated so that they would not blow up the boat." www.wsj.com/world/americ...
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
“Russia has welcomed President Donald Trump's new National Security Strategy, calling it "largely consistent" with Moscow's vision.” www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
New US security strategy aligns with Russia's vision, Moscow says
The Kremlin welcomes the starkly worded document, which does not cast Russia as a threat to the US.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
NEW: Trump’s pardon of former Honduran President Hernández was the result of something extraordinary for a Central American leader & convicted cocaine trafficker—a web of powerful advocates stretching from Washington to Silicon Valley and Mar-a-Lago. Behind the scenes ⬇️ www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
How a Man Convicted of Running a Latin American Narco State Landed a Pardon
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández’s unusual network of Trump allies and MAGA influencers helped deliver an extraordinary pardon to him.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
NEW: Hegseth asked SOUTHCOM Adm. Alvin Holsey to step down, a de facto ouster that was the culmination of months of discord between the two that intensified when Holsey had initial concerns about the legality of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Hegseth Asked Top Admiral to Resign After Months of Discord
The relationship between the Pentagon chief and Adm. Alvin Holsey had been rocky since Trump’s inauguration.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
“We don’t care how Trump does it." “No mercy. The time for talking is over.” “Give me a chance. I’ll go with them.” Inside Miami's "Doralzuela," where hope that Trump will force out Maduro is colliding with anxiety over his immigration crackdown www.wsj.com/world/americ...
wsj.com
In Miami’s ‘Little Venezuela,’ Deportation Fears Collide With Hope for Regime Change
Residents of the largest Venezuelan community in the U.S. are caught between Trump’s immigration crackdown and his campaign against Nicolás Maduro.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Thank you for reading 📰
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Benjamin Wittes @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org · 05/11/2025
@lageneralista.ca talking “The Information Animal” at @carnegieendowment.org with @verambergen.bsky.social of the @wsj.com!
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Alicia Wanless @lageneralista.ca · 10/11/2025
In case you missed the DC launch, @carnegieendowment.org has you covered with the full video - wherein @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org made the best of introductions and @verambergen.bsky.social adeptly dealt with my lack of answers: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
carnegieendowment.org
The Information Animal: Are Humans in a Competition for Reality?
Join the Carnegie Endowment’s Technology and International Affairs Program for a conversation with Vera Bergengruen, national security reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and Dr. Alicia Wanless to di...
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
NEW: The Trump admin has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs, U.S. officials say. If Trump decides to move forward w/ airstrikes, they say, the targets would send a clear message to Maduro that it is time to step down. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
wsj.com
U.S. Eyes Striking Venezuelan Military Targets Used for Drug Trafficking
If President Trump decides to move forward with airstrikes, the targets would send a clear message to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro that it is time to step down, according to U.S. officials.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
The Pentagon has ordered the National Guard to create “quick reaction” forces in every state by January that are trained and equipped to respond to riots and civil unrest within the U.S., according to internal DOD memos. www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
Pentagon Orders National Guard to Establish Quick-Reaction Forces for Civil Unrest, Riots
The riot control units are a major shift, underscoring the Trump administration’s push to directly involve the military in responding to demonstrations and other domestic missions.
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Alicia Wanless @lageneralista.ca · 27/10/2025
Excited to be back at @carnegieendowment.org for this chat with @verambergen.bsky.social about The Information Animal - should be fun! If you’re in DC on November 5, please come. carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/... And with that, see y’all in a couple weeks!
carnegieendowment.org
The Information Animal: Are Humans in a Competition for Reality?
Join the Carnegie Endowment’s Technology and International Affairs Program for a conversation with Vera Bergengruen, national security reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and Dr. Alicia Wanless to di...
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Carnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 29/10/2025
The human-technology relationship has followed a similar pattern since ancient times. Is history doomed to repeat itself? Join @lageneralista.bsky.social and @verambergen.bsky.social to discuss questions like this – & Alicia’s book! Nov 5, 4pm EST, hybrid carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 23/10/2025
In his second term, President Trump is seeking to dominate the Americas with a new "Donroe Doctrine."
on.wsj.com
Essay | Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Aims to Dominate the Americas
From attacking drug boats to pressuring Venezuela’s leader, the President is putting the Western Hemisphere at the center of his foreign policy.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 06/10/2025
Thousands of federal agents once tasked with investigating drug smuggling, sexual exploitation and organized crime have been redirected to immigration enforcement.
on.wsj.com
Trump’s Immigration Push Diverts U.S. Agents From Drug, Money and Sex-Crime Cases
Federal investigators are resigning, and morale is low, as they juggle complex cases and detain migrants.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 07/10/2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s emphasis on physical prowess comes as experts say future wars will depend more on cutting-edge technology, precision strikes and AI on.wsj.com/3KvrcH1
on.wsj.com
Hegseth Focuses on Fitness, Even as Pentagon Goes High Tech
The emphasis on physical prowess comes as experts say future wars will depend more on cutting-edge technology, precision strikes and AI.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
NEW: Thousands of federal agents once tasked with investigating drug smuggling, sexual exploitation, and organized crime have been redirected to immigration enforcement under President Trump’s second-term push to accelerate deportations www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
Trump’s Immigration Push Diverts U.S. Agents From Drug, Money and Sex-Crime Cases
Federal investigators are resigning, and morale is low, as they juggle complex cases and detain migrants.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
For those not steeped in online conservative circles, Charlie Kirk was hardly a household name outside the U.S. before this past week. But his death has galvanized right-wing figures abroad who have hailed him as a martyr for a global movement. Latest ⬇️ www.wsj.com/world/charli...
wsj.com
Charlie Kirk’s Death Unites a Global Right That Sees Its Movement Under Siege
Conservative leaders from Pretoria to Tokyo framed the killing of the U.S. activist and organizer as proof of an existential threat.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
New: Inside the lobbying campaign by Ukraine, European officials and evangelical Christian organizations to bring the Ukrainian children forcibly removed to Russia to Trump’s attention & make their return a demand in peace negotiations www.wsj.com/world/inside...
wsj.com
Inside the Lobbying Push That Put Ukraine’s Missing Children on Trump’s Agenda
Children that Ukraine says were taken by Russia are at the heart of peace talks thanks to a monthslong effort by Western officials and evangelical Christian groups.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
New: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., to carry weapons www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
Defense Secretary Authorizes National Guard in D.C. to Carry Arms
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized National Guard soldiers in Washington to carry weapons, the latest move in President Trump’s efforts to ramp up security in the nation’s capital.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
“ICE is seeking to spend millions of dollars on SUVs and custom, gold-detailed vehicle wraps emblazoned with the words “DEFEND THE HOMELAND,” according to a contractor’s social media post and records that describe the decked-out fleet” www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
washingtonpost.com
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Paul Kiernan @pkwsj.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Of the 465 total arrests from the start of operations in the District of Columbia through Tuesday, roughly 44%, or 206, have been arrests of immigrants in the country illegally, according to a White House official. www.wsj.com/us-news/trum...
wsj.com
Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push in D.C. Looks a Lot Like an Immigration Raid
Nearly half of the arrests under the security crackdown have been of people in the country illegally.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 21/08/2025
Nearly half of the arrests under President Trump’s security crackdown in the nation’s capital have been of people in the country illegally.
on.wsj.com
Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push in D.C. Looks a Lot Like an Immigration Raid
Nearly half of the arrests under the security crackdown have been of people in the country illegally.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
NEW: Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push in D.C. Looks a Lot Like an Immigration Raid www.wsj.com/us-news/trum...
wsj.com
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Andrew Buncombe @andrewbuncombe.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
Do read this: Blackwater’s Erik Prince muscles back into mercenary business @wsj.com www.wsj.com/world/americ...
wsj.com
Blackwater’s Erik Prince Muscles Back Into the Mercenary Business
Prince has a new guns-for-hire firm to take overseas security jobs the White House doesn’t want to pay for.
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Kathleen Bush-Joseph @kathleenbush.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
National Guard soldiers prepare to carry weapons in Washington, DC www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
Exclusive | National Guard Soldiers Prepare to Carry Weapons in Washington, D.C.
The shift comes after defense officials said the soldiers deployed to the capital wouldn’t be armed.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
NEW: National Guard troops deployed to DC by President Trump are now preparing to carry weapons. It's a significant shift—defense officials emphasized two days ago that troops would not be armed or have weapons in their vehicles.
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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
“People know that we Finns don’t have a hidden agenda, and we’re also quite blunt,” Stubb told The Wall Street Journal in an interview on July 31. “I can communicate what Europeans or Zelensky think to Trump, and then I can communicate what Trump thinks to my European colleagues.”
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Finland's President is usually up by 5 am for triathlon training and a sauna. These days, his morning routine is often interrupted by a call from Donald Trump: “Why are you up already?” My latest from Helsinki on the unexpected—and high-stakes—bond between the two presidents
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 14/08/2025
WSJ’s Vera Bergengruen sat down with Finnish President Alexander Stubb to discuss his rapport with President Trump, a bond over golf and how it’s driven Ukraine diplomacy.
on.wsj.com
Watch: How Golf With Trump Helped Drive U.S.-European Diplomacy on Ukraine
WSJ’s Vera Bergengruen interviewed Finnish President Alexander Stubb about how bonding over golf helped him become an influential envoy between President Trump and European allies.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 14/08/2025
President Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb have formed an unexpected bond, exchanging texts and calls at odd hours.
on.wsj.com
How Finland’s Golf-Loving President Got Trump to Hear Him Out on Russia
“He’s a very good player,” President Trump said of Alexander Stubb, who warned after the two played a round at Trump’s club that Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Peak local energy in Alaska on the Trump-Putin summit coming to town
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin today ahead of President Donald Trump’s call with European leaders to discuss the Putin summit (Photo: Singer/Pool/EPA)
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
New: How Trump Is Expanding the Role of the American Military on U.S. Soil www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
President Trump has directed the Pentagon to begin preparing options to use military force against Latin American drug cartels. www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Sec. Marco Rubio met for 50 minutes with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov last week in Malaysia - afterwards he told us “a new and different approach” to peace talks had been raised in the meeting he would bring to Trump www.wsj.com/world/rubio-...
wsj.com
Rubio Cites New Path to Ukraine Peace Talks After Meeting Russia’s Lavrov
The discussion in Malaysia follows Trump’s harsh criticism of Putin and pledge to resume military aid to Kyiv.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Pentagon intelligence officials assess the U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities set back Tehran’s program by up to two years, a more modest claim than President Trump’s assertion that the attack had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear efforts www.wsj.com/world/middle...
wsj.com
Pentagon Says U.S. Strike Delayed Iran’s Nuclear Program by Up To Two Years
The new assessment contrasted with U.N. agency view that Iran could resume enriching uranium in a “matter of months.”
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
President Trump earned around $57 million from his stake in a family-backed cryptocurrency firm last year “In a matter of months, the Trump family has reached into nearly every corner of the crypto industry.” www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
Trump Disclosure Shows $57 Million in Earnings From Early Crypto Push
The president’s assets were valued at roughly $1.7 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
New: The leak of Musk's China briefing deeply rattled Hegseth, triggering a cascade of accusations. “I’ll hook you up to a fucking polygraph!” he shouted at Adm. Christopher Grady. The overlapping crises left Hegseth paranoid & isolated, officials say www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Polygraph Threats, Leaks and Infighting: The Chaos Inside Hegseth’s Pentagon
Defense secretary has chastised top military officers and staffers as he seeks to quiet a storm he helped create
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
President Nayib Bukele and Sen. Van Hollen both confirm he finally got his request to meet with with Kilmar Abrego Garcia today. Two posts, very different tones
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David Noll @david.noll.org · 17/04/2025
"'We have no plans to bring them back, this is a long-term solution,' Noem told The Wall Street Journal after her visit with Bukele. 'He has plans to double the size. He has 80-plus acres there that he's going to continue to build on."
wsj.com
Exclusive | El Salvador’s Bukele Plans to Double the Size of Giant Prison Holding U.S. Deportees
President Nayib Bukele told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem he plans to expand the sprawling prison compound known as Cecot when she visited last month.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 16/04/2025
Exclusive: El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele plans to double the size of the maximum-security prison where his government is holding U.S. deportees
wsj.com
Exclusive | El Salvador’s Bukele Plans to Double Giant Prison Holding U.S. Deportees
President Nayib Bukele told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem he plans to expand the sprawling prison compound known as Cecot when she visited last month.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
Relevant: Two days ago, Trump told Bukele "Homegrowns are next...you gotta build about five more places.” “We’ve got space,” Bukele said. “It’s not big enough,” Trump replied. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
wsj.com
Exclusive | El Salvador’s Bukele Plans to Double the Size of Giant Prison Holding U.S. Deportees
President Nayib Bukele told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem he plans to expand the sprawling prison compound known as Cecot when she visited last month.
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Vera Bergengruen @verambergen.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
NEW: El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele plans to double the size of the mass prison where his government is holding U.S. deportees. He "has 80-plus acres there that he’s going to continue to build on." "This is a long-term solution,” Noem said. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
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