Bukele Tells U.S. Prayer Breakfast That Salvadoran Gangs Practiced Satanic Rituals — Warns Some May Have Entered U.S.

El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, told attendees at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., that violent gang members in his country not only carried out crimes but also practiced Satanic rituals — and that some of those individuals may have crossed into the United States.

Speaking from the U.S. Capitol, Bukele framed the threat as both physical and spiritual. "The gangs didn't just murder, rape, extort. They also worship Satan," he said. He added that authorities uncovered altars and ritual paraphernalia in homes during arrests and that pictures and videos documenting those findings were made public.

President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2025.

"This is well documented. We put up the pictures, the videos right away... But we know gangs in El Salvador were satanic and they worshiped Satan," Bukele said.

At the breakfast, attended by lawmakers and business leaders from both parties, Bukele warned: "Some of those gangs are here in the United States." He has previously said that raids turned up paraphernalia allegedly linked to MS-13 and other violent groups, though those claims have been contested and widely reported with varying levels of verification.

Context And Policy

Bukele — a polarizing regional figure who has cultivated ties with former U.S. President Donald Trump — referenced a 2025 agreement in which El Salvador accepted hundreds of Venezuelan gang members who had been residing illegally in the United States, placing them in the country's high-security prison system. Bukele credited his administration's tough security measures and long prison terms with a dramatic drop in crime.

The National Prayer Breakfast was held at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 5, 2026.

"El Salvador was the murder capital of the world... And now it's the safest country in the whole continent," he said, attributing the turnaround to his law-and-order policies.

The event also featured remarks from former President Donald Trump, who emphasized religious liberty and invoked the Founding Fathers. Media accounts from the breakfast noted Bukele's confrontational tone toward critics; he even challenged figures who have condemned his methods — publicly daring opponents such as Hillary Clinton to accept El Salvador's prison population.

Implications

Bukele's comments add a religious and moral dimension to ongoing debates in the U.S. about immigration, border security and cooperation with Central American governments. Claims about Satanic rituals and cross-border movement of gang members are likely to intensify discussion over enforcement, asylum policy and information-sharing between countries.

Note: The description of satanic practices is based on statements and materials shared by Salvadoran authorities and reported by Bukele; independent verification of all specific claims varies across media sources.