The centerpiece of President Nayib Bukele's self-declared war on crime, a massive new prison has received the first 2,000 suspected gang members from El Salvador.
Following a rise in murders and other violent crimes, tens of thousands of suspected gang members have been apprehended nationwide.
More than 40,000 people will eventually be housed there.
Photos depict the first large group of tattooed and barefoot inmates being led into the facility.
Before being taken to their cells, the prisoners are left sitting on the ground with their hands tucked behind their shaved heads.
The Center for the Confinement of Terrorism, which President Bukele claims is the largest jail in the Americas, received the first 2,000 inmates "at dawn, in a single operation," according to a tweet from the president.
"This will be their new home, where they will spend decades living together in harmony and unable to further harm the populace. ".
Eight buildings make up the mega-prison, which is located in Tecoluca, 74 kilometers (46 miles) southeast of San Salvador. According to the government, each one has 32 cells that are each 100 square meters (1,075 square feet) in size and can house "more than 100" inmates.
Only two sinks and two toilets are available per cell.
Last March, President Bukele proclaimed a "war on gangs," enacting emergency measures that have since been repeated.
As they restrict some constitutional rights, such as enabling the security forces to detain suspects without a warrant, the emergency measures have generated controversy.
In the fight against crime, more than 64,000 suspects have been taken into custody.
Although human rights groups claim that innocent people have been affected by the policy, Salvadorans continue to support Bukele's anti-gang campaign.
