El Salvador begins mass trial of over 400 MS-13 gang leaders accused of 47,000 crimes

El Salvador's mass trial of over 400 leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang began on Tuesday, with prosecutors accusing them of organizing more than 47,000 crimes between 2012 and 2022. The 486 defendants are linked to crimes including murder, femicide, extortion, weapons trafficking, and forced disappearance. Prosecutors also charged the defendants with insurrection, alleging they attempted to establish a parallel state through territorial control.

Maximum sentences sought

The Attorney General's Office presented autopsy reports, ballistic evidence, and witness testimonies, requesting that the judge impose maximum prison sentences for each crime. If convicted on all charges, a single defendant could face up to 245 years in prison.

March 2022 massacre included

The case file includes instructions allegedly given for the killing of 86 people between March 25-27, 2022, considered the most violent weekend in post-war El Salvador. Following that wave of killings, the pro-government majority Congress declared a controversial state of emergency, which has been extended monthly since.

State of emergency criticized

The state of emergency has faced intense criticism for widespread human rights violations. Salvadoran authorities have been accused by international lawyers of committing crimes against humanity including torture, murder, and forced disappearance. Under the measure, security forces have detained over 91,500 people. Human rights organizations estimate the policy has caused 238% overcrowding in prisons and that 513 detainees have died in state custody.

Bukele's defense

President Nayib Bukele's administration defends the state of emergency, citing a drop in the homicide rate from 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 1.3 in 2025.

CECOT prison

Most defendants are held at the high-security CECOT prison, inaugurated in 2023 and symbolizing Bukele's anti-gang policies. Human rights organizations describe conditions at CECOT as inhumane, alleging torture, 24-hour surveillance, and prevention of contact with the outside world, including lawyer access.

Notable defendants

Among those being tried in the virtual hearing are longtime MS-13 leaders Borromeo Henriquez and Dionisio Umanzor, who participated in the 2012-2014 ceasefire between the government and gangs during President Mauricio Funes's administration.