El Salvador Begins Mass Trial of 486 Alleged MS-13 Members

A mass trial involving hundreds of alleged gang members has opened in El Salvador, in what authorities describe as one of the largest criminal proceedings in the country’s history. According to BBC News, 486 suspected members of the MS-13 gang are facing charges linked to tens of thousands of crimes committed over a decade.

El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office alleges that the group is responsible for more than 47,000 offences between 2012 and 2022, including murder, extortion, and drug and arms trafficking. Prosecutors say they have “compelling” evidence and are seeking maximum penalties for those convicted.

The case also includes suspects accused of involvement in a surge of gang violence in March 2022, when 87 people were killed in a single weekend. The killings prompted President Nayib Bukele to declare a nationwide “war on gangs.”

Authorities report that 413 of the accused are already in custody, while arrest warrants have been issued for 73 others who are being tried in absentia. No timeline has been given for how long the proceedings are expected to last.

The mass trial comes amid an ongoing state of emergency introduced in March 2022, which expanded police powers and suspended certain constitutional rights. Since then, tens of thousands of suspected gang members have been detained.

However, the approach has drawn criticism from international observers. United Nations experts have warned that large-scale trials risk undermining defendants’ rights, including the presumption of innocence and access to a proper defence. They have also cautioned that public safety efforts should not come at the expense of fair trial standards.

Despite the concerns, supporters of Bukele’s crackdown argue that it has significantly reduced crime and improved security across the country.

MS-13, originally formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s by immigrants fleeing El Salvador’s civil war, has since grown into a powerful transnational criminal organization, with a strong presence in Central America. The United States designated the group as a terrorist organisation last year.

Prosecutors in El Salvador say the accused also face charges including femicide, disappearances, and rebellion, alleging the gang sought to maintain territorial control and operate as a “parallel state.”