El Salvador Sentences 97 MS-13 Gang Members to Up to 60 Years in Prison

A specialized court in San Salvador, the Second Organized Crime Tribunal, handed down prison terms to 97 members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS‑13) belonging to the Francis Locos Salvatruchos clique for the crime of illicit groupings. Sentences range from 25 to 60 years, calibrated to each defendant’s role in the criminal hierarchy.

The harshest penalty, 60 years, was imposed on Víctor Alfonso Arias, alias “Infierno,” identified as a courier for the gang’s Cabañas program. Immer de Jesús Molina, the group’s base manager, received 45 years. Additional penalties were added for firearms‑related offenses: 17 “homeboys” received 45‑year terms, with two of them given an extra 15 years for illegal weapon possession; 16 “chequeos” were sentenced to 30 years, some with further years for weapons crimes; 23 members classified as “observation and stop” received 30‑year terms; and 39 collaborators got 25 years, five of whom faced an extra 10 years for trafficking‑related weapon possession. The court emphasized the hierarchical structure of the clique and its impact on public peace in the Cabañas department.