Thousands of inmates move to Salvadoran 'mega prison'

STORY: El Salvador's government moved thousands of suspected gang members to the newly-opened "mega prison" following President Nayib Bukele's anti-gang push that has caused the Central American nation's prison population to soar.

In a video posted on Buekele’s Twitter account, prisoners stripped down to white shorts, with their heads shaved, are seen running through the new prison into cells. Many bear gang tattoos identifying themselves as part of a gang.

Bukele asked his allies in El Salvador's Congress to pass a state of exception last year, which has since been extended several times, that suspends some constitutional rights after a dramatic spike in murders attributed to violent gangs.

Since then, more than 64,000 suspects have been arrested in the anti-crime dragnet. Arrests can be made without a warrant, private communications are accessible by the government, and detainees no longer have the right to a lawyer.

Human rights organizations argue that innocent people have been caught up in the policy, including at least dozens who have died in police custody.