Story perspectives

El Salvador Trials 486 MS-13 Members Remotely Amid Rights Concerns

4/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

486 MS-13 members began a trial in El Salvador’s Confinement Center, with detainees viewing on a screen and judges hearing remotely.
Prosecutors say the defendants face over 47,000 crimes, including 29,000 homicides, extortion, arms trafficking and rebellion for seeking a parallel state.
Cristosal and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights warn the trial lacks individualized evidence, notes over 500 prison deaths and torture, and risks convicting innocent people.

History

Historical Context

El Salvador's gang violence surged in the 1990s, leading to the implementation of harsh anti-gang policies like Mano Dura. By 2015, the country recorded a staggering 6,657 homicides, prompting the Supreme Court to label MS-13 and Barrio 18 as terrorist organizations. In 2016, the government enacted a new anti-gang law, resulting in over 60,000 arrests by 2022, amidst ongoing human rights concerns.

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Story summary

486 MS-13 members began a trial in El Salvador’s Confinement Center, with detainees viewing on a screen and judges hearing remotely.
Prosecutors say the defendants face over 47,000 crimes, including 29,000 homicides, extortion, arms trafficking and rebellion for seeking a parallel state.
Cristosal and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights warn the trial lacks individualized evidence, notes over 500 prison deaths and torture, and risks convicting innocent people.

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