Hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members have been flown from the United States to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, defying an order by a US district judge who sought to halt the deportations.

Video shared by government accounts in El Salvador showed men with their heads bowed and their hands and feet shackled, being bundled from two aeroplanes and taken in a heavily armed convoy to the country’s notorious terrorism detention centre. On arrival, their heads and beards were forcibly shaved.

President Bukele confirmed that 238 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang would be imprisoned, initially for a year.

“The United States will pay a very low fee for them but a high one for us.” he said. The US is said