Mass Trial of Alleged MS-13 Gang Members Concludes in El Salvador

In San Salvador, El Salvador, prosecutors have concluded a significant mass trial involving hundreds of accused MS-13 gang members. This trial concerns 485 members of the international Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, gang. The charges include homicide, extortion, drug offenses, arms offenses, and human trafficking.

Human rights organizations have criticized the trial, arguing that it violates the defendants’ rights. The trial takes place under a state of emergency enacted in March 2022. This emergency suspended certain constitutional rights, leading to the detention of tens of thousands of Salvadorans.

Juan Pappier, Americas deputy director for Human Rights Watch, stated, “First, the police arrested thousands of people without investigation. Now, the courts are handing down mass convictions to hundreds without credible evidence or any real chance of defense.” He criticized the process, suggesting it provides a façade of legality to improper arrests.

“This is not justice,” Pappier added.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office claims the gang members are on trial for involvement in 14,420 crimes, including 444 killings committed from 2012 to 2022. Prosecutors are seeking the maximum sentence for each crime, potentially resulting in life imprisonment for some defendants, along with $9 million in civil damages.

During the proceedings, prosecutors presented audio recordings of alleged phone conversations between gang leaders. In these recordings, orders for killings and other crimes were reportedly made. The trial was conducted virtually, with defendants appearing on camera from the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a megaprison built by the government of President Nayib Bukele.

This prison, where visitations and recreational activities are banned, has also housed migrants deported from the U.S. The timing for a verdict remains unclear. Under a reform of El Salvador’s criminal code in July 2023, collective trials for gang members detained under the state of emergency are now permissible. More than 92,480 individuals accused of gang affiliations are reportedly imprisoned since the emergency measures began.

President Bukele claims that 8,000 innocent individuals have been released. However, human rights groups report over 6,000 complaints of rights violations and arbitrary detentions, with at least 547 deaths documented in custody. Despite the controversy, many Salvadorans support the state of emergency, valuing it as a means to improve security after years of enduring violence.

This trial follows another collective trial last November, where 45 members of the Barrio 18 gang were convicted for crimes like extortion and homicide. Leaders in the current MS-13 trial include Dionisio Arístides Umanzor Osorio, known as “El Sirra de Teclas,” Borromeo Henríquez Solórzano, called “Diablito de Hollywood,” Carlos Tiberio Ramírez Valladares, known as “Snayder,” and César Antonio López Larios, aka “Greñas.”