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El Salvador Trial of Nearly 500 Alleged MS-13 Members for 47,000 Crimes
El Salvador has begun a collective trial of 486 suspected MS-13 gang members, accused of committing 47,000 crimes including 29,000 homicides between 2012 and 2022. The proceedings are part of a broader anti-gang crackdown under a state of emergency. Rights groups have raised concerns about due process and potential human rights abuses.
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Nearly 490 alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, including several alleged leaders, began a collective trial in El Salvador on Monday. Prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office stated that the defendants face charges for 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including 29,000 homicides.
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The court system reported that the trial involves members of the national leadership, street-level leaders, program coordinators, and founders of the gang. Salvadoran authorities accuse the group of various crimes, such as the killing of 87 people in a single weekend in March 2022.
The Attorney General's Office said MS-13 is charged with rebellion for attempting to establish a parallel state. Prosecutors stated they have ample evidence to request maximum sentences and aim to settle a historic debt.
The trial is part of an anti-gang crackdown initiated by President Nayib Bukele, who declared a war on gangs following the March 2022 killings. Bukele, described as a close ally of President Trump, imposed a state of emergency in 2022, leading to the arrest of more than 91,000 suspected gang members.
Some of those arrested were later declared innocent. The campaign has resulted in a significant decrease in crime, transforming El Salvador from one of Latin America's most dangerous countries to one of its safest, according to reports. MS-13 and the rival Barrio 18 gang operate drug trafficking and extortion networks across Central America.
Both groups originated among Salvadoran youth in Los Angeles and spread to El Salvador, where they have been active for over three decades.
The mass trials involve anonymous judges issuing uniform punishments to large groups of defendants, who participate via video link from prison. Many suspects have been detained for years without charges or visiting rights. At the trial's opening, the judge stated that armed groups had disturbed the peace and security of the state for decades and would face the full force of the law.
