Nearly 500 Alleged MS-13 Members Face Trial in El Salvador for 47,000 Crimes

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.

Bukele has accused the gangs of murdering 200,000 people, including 80,000 who disappeared. Rights groups, including New York-based Human Rights Watch and regional NGO Cristosal, have criticized the mass trials for risks of innocent people being punished and reports of human rights abuses, such as lack of due process, torture, and over 500 prison deaths.

The Trump administration has designated MS-13 and Barrio 18 as terrorist organizations, using this to justify actions against alleged drug operations. The state of emergency continues to facilitate the ongoing crackdown.