Crime and violence in El Salvador are fueled by street gangs – particularly the infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) and to a lesser extent two factions of the Barrio 18. The gangs control territory through cliques, engaging in low-level crimes like extortion, kidnapping and drug sales. Drug trafficking groups – the Perrones and the Texis Cartel – also have operations in the country. But these groups have been on the decline after the arrests of key figures, leaving a door open for the country’s dominant gang – the MS13 – to enter the trafficking market.
Latest News
El Salvador Arrests Thousands but Gangs Keep Their Guns
Almost four months into a nationwide crackdown, El Salvador's government has failed to disarm its notorious street gangs.
US Corruption List in Central America: More Bark, Little Bite
The US government has added dozens of individuals to a list of allegedly corrupt actors in Central America.
Political Connections in El Salvador Help MS13 Leaders Escape Abroad
Amid El Salvador's brutal anti-gang crackdown, one top MS13 leader was escorted out of the country by a government official.
El Salvador Profile
El Salvador is a relatively small but growing player in the drug trafficking business. It serves as a drug receiving and storage point along the Pacific Coast, and a bridge via the Pan-American Highway, the Fonseca Gulf and roads from Honduras that cut through relatively unpopulated areas. Gangs such as MS-13 and Barrio 18 commonly engage in extortion, kidnapping and domestic drug distribution. Accompanying and exacerbating the country's general insecurity is a weak judicial system that promotes impunity.
EL SALVADOR PROFILEInvestigations
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A turnaround in El Salvador’s position on extraditing gang members has come amid US pressure and rumblings in the criminal underworld.
El Salvador has arrested over 40,000 alleged gang members. This seems shocking but it is not without precedent in the country.
El Salvador's sweeping crackdown, which has seen over 30,000 people arrested, may in fact drive many desperate young people straight into the arms of the gangs.
Flaca was devoted to the MS13. But after suffering violence, abuse and rape, she turned to the one escape open to her: religion…
The MS13 gang and the Pentecostal Church are two worlds seemingly at odds. One man, known as Elvis, has a foot in both.
Since El Salvador's government began a campaign of mass arrests two months ago in a gang crackdown, fewer than 60 suspected gang members fleeing the country have been arrested in…

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