El Salvador has announced prison sentences for hundreds of gang members, with some of those convicted receiving terms running into the hundreds of years, as President Nayib Bukele’s hardline security campaign continues.
The attorney general’s office said on Sunday that 248 members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) street gang had been handed what it described as “exemplary sentences” for crimes including 43 murders and 42 enforced disappearances.
In a statement posted on X, the office did not specify when the sentences were handed down or whether the defendants were tried collectively or in separate proceedings.
According to the statement, one gang member was sentenced to 1,335 years in prison. Ten others received sentences ranging from 463 to 958 years.
The convictions form part of a sweeping crackdown on organised crime that began in March 2022, when Bukele imposed a nationwide state of emergency. The measure allows security forces to carry out arrests without warrants and has been repeatedly extended by parliament.
Since the emergency powers were introduced, more than 90,000 people have been detained, according to official figures. Authorities say around 8,000 detainees have since been released after being found not guilty.
Bukele’s approach has led to a sharp fall in violent crime. Homicide rates have dropped to their lowest levels in decades, transforming a country once regarded as one of the most violent in the world.
However, human rights organisations have accused the government of serious abuses, including arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention without trial and poor prison conditions. The government denies the allegations, arguing that extraordinary measures are necessary to dismantle powerful criminal networks.
The Salvadoran authorities say MS-13 and its rival gang, Barrio 18, are responsible for the deaths of about 200,000 people over the past 30 years.
At their peak, the two gangs were estimated to control around 80% of the country’s territory, exerting influence through violence, intimidation and extortion.
The attorney general’s office said gang members routinely targeted business owners, demanding payments in exchange for protection.
“Victims who owned businesses were extorted for different amounts of money to avoid being harmed,” the statement said. “Some people had to close their businesses out of fear of the threats.”
The United States has designated MS-13 and several other gangs operating in Central and South America as foreign terrorist organisations, citing their involvement in transnational crime, drug trafficking and violent activity.
Bukele, who remains highly popular domestically, has vowed to continue the crackdown, insisting that the restoration of public safety justifies the tough measures imposed under the state of emergency.
