On Sunday (hours before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. ET broadcast), CBS News abruptly postponed a 60 Minutes segment titled "Inside CECOT." The report, reported by correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and produced by Oriana Zill de Granados, was set to feature interviews with recently released Venezuelan deportees describing the "brutal and torturous" conditions inside El Salvador's Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a massive maximum-security prison.
Background on the Segment
- The piece focused on a Trump administration policy from earlier in 2025, where hundreds of mostly Venezuelan migrants (accused of ties to gangs like Tren de Aragua) were deported to CECOT under a deal with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.
- Many deportees reportedly believed they were being returned to Venezuela but were instead sent to CECOT, a facility criticized by human rights groups for harsh conditions, including allegations of torture and indefinite detention.
- The segment had been heavily promoted in advance, with a trailer and description on Paramount+ (now removed or hidden).
What Happened
- CBS announced the change via social media around 4:30 p.m. ET: "The broadcast lineup for tonight’s edition of 60 Minutes has been updated. Our report ‘Inside CECOT’ will air in a future broadcast."
- The segment was replaced with a lighter feature on the Kanneh-Mason siblings (classical musicians).
- CBS removed promotional links, and the dedicated page showed a "page not found" message.
Official Reason vs. Internal Reactions
- A CBS spokesperson stated the segment "needed additional reporting."
- However, Alfonsi sent an internal email (reported by outlets like The New York Times and Variety) asserting the story was fully vetted: screened five times, cleared by lawyers and Standards and Practices, and factually accurate.
- She called the postponement a "political" decision, not editorial, and suggested it was tied to the Trump administration's refusal to participate or provide comment.
- She reportedly added that allowing the administration's non-participation to kill the story would give them a "kill switch" for inconvenient reporting.
CBS News President Bari Weiss said in a statement late Sunday: “My job is to make sure that all stories we publish are the best they can be. Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason — that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices — happens every day in every newsroom. I look forward to airing this important piece when it’s ready.”
Sunday’s unusual events have once again placed “60 Minutes” at the center of a media and political fracas.
Sunday’s unusual events have once again placed “60 Minutes” at the center of a media and political fracas.