Mass sentencing of 254 MS‑13 members in El Salvador and expulsion of a suspect from Guatemala

In El Salvador, a criminal court sentenced 254 members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS‑13) gang, with penalties reaching up to 85 years in prison. The defendants were part of the "Park View Locos Salvatruchos" cell, which operated in more than half of the Cabañas department between 2013 and 2022. The trial used a recently adopted mass‑trial procedure that allows authorities to prosecute an entire gang structure in a single proceeding.

Separately, Guatemalan police expelled a 31‑year‑old Salvadoran MS‑13 member, known by aliases such as “Misterio,” from the Pedro de Alvarado border post. He faces five Salvadoran arrest warrants for crimes including aggravated homicide, illegal group formation, armed violations of liberty and sexual assault of a minor. After being captured in Mexico, he was transferred through Guatemala before being handed back to Salvadoran authorities, illustrating growing regional cooperation against transnational gang crime.