El Salvador Launches Massive Trial of MS-13 Members Accused of Tens of Thousands of Crimes

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – El Salvador has launched one of the largest criminal proceedings in modern history, placing 486 alleged members of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) on trial for a staggering 47,000 combined crimes.

The mass trial began Tuesday inside the country’s high-security Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT—a sprawling “mega-prison” built in 2022 as part of President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive crackdown on gang violence. Images released from the proceedings showed rows of detainees dressed in white, seated and listening as prosecutors outlined extensive charges ranging from homicide and extortion to weapons trafficking.

Authorities say the alleged crimes span a decade, from 2012 through 2022, a period marked by escalating gang control and violence. The crisis reached a breaking point in March 2022, when 87 people were murdered in a single weekend—prompting Bukele to declare a state of emergency that remains in effect today.

Under legal reforms passed in 2023, El Salvador expanded its ability to conduct mass trials and increased maximum prison sentences from 45 to 60 years per offense. As of 2026, more than 91,500 suspected gang members have been detained, with CECOT alone capable of housing up to 40,000 inmates. Of the defendants in the current trial, 413 are already in custody, while 73 remain fugitives.

Government prosecutors argue that MS-13 operated as a coordinated criminal network that effectively sought to establish a “parallel state,” terrorizing communities and undermining national stability. Officials credit the crackdown with dramatically improving public safety, noting that the homicide rate has fallen from 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2022 to just 1.3 today.

However, the sweeping measures have drawn sharp criticism from international organizations. The United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have raised concerns about due process, citing the suspension of legal protections, extended detentions, and limitations on defense rights during the ongoing state of emergency.

Despite the criticism, Bukele remains widely popular domestically, with approval ratings exceeding 90 percent. He has strongly defended his policies, accusing foreign-backed groups—including those linked to the Open Society Foundations—of attempting to undermine El Salvador’s efforts to dismantle organized crime.

In the United States, MS-13 has also drawn increasing scrutiny. In 2025, the U.S. government designated the gang among several transnational criminal organizations treated as terrorist entities, and Washington continues to pursue deportations of suspected members back to El Salvador—a policy Bukele has openly supported.

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