El Salvador sentences 248 MS-13 gang members, with one receiving 1,335 years, as part of President Bukele’s crackdown on violent crime.
SAN SALVADOR: El Salvador has announced prison sentences for hundreds of gang members, with some receiving terms spanning centuries.
The Attorney General’s office stated that 248 members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang received “exemplary sentences” for 43 homicides and 42 disappearances.
One individual was sentenced to 1,335 years in prison, while 10 others received terms ranging from 463 to 958 years.
The government did not specify the sentencing date or whether the accused were tried en masse.
President Nayib Bukele has led a crackdown on gangs under a state of emergency since March 2022, allowing arrests without warrants.
Official sources report over 90,000 people have been detained, with about 8,000 released after being found not guilty.
Bukele’s campaign has reduced homicides to historic lows, but human rights groups accuse security forces of abuses.
The Salvadoran government states MS-13 and the Barrio 18 gang are responsible for roughly 200,000 deaths over three decades.
These gangs once controlled an estimated 80% of the country, giving El Salvador one of the world’s highest homicide rates.
The Attorney General’s office said the groups extorted business owners, demanding money to avoid harm.
“Some people had to close their businesses out of fear of the threats,” it added.
The United States has designated MS-13 and several other regional gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.
