Mass trial for 486 alleged MS-13 gang leaders begins in El Salvador
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- A mass trial of 486 suspected MS-13 gang leaders has commenced in El Salvador, with charges including over 47,000 crimes such as murder, extortion, drug and arms trafficking from 2012 to 2022.
- The accused are linked to a surge in gang violence in March 2022 that resulted in 87 deaths in one weekend, prompting President Nayib Bukele to declare a "war on gangs."
- Among the charges are femicide, disappearances, and rebellion for attempting to maintain territorial control to establish a parallel state, with 413 suspects in custody and 73 prosecuted in absentia.
- MS-13, designated a terrorist organization by the US, originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s but now has a larger presence in Central America, notably impacting El Salvador's social and economic development.
- El Salvador has maintained a controversial state of emergency since March 2022, granting expanded powers to arrest suspected gang members and suspending some constitutional rights to combat gang activity.
