Three months of hearings ended Wednesday with Salvadoran prosecutors seeking the harshest penalties for 485 alleged MS-13 members, including possible life terms and $9 million in civil damages.
Prosecutors tied the defendants to 14,420 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including 444 killings, and said the gang used about 1,200 children, exploited 638 women and operated through 32 groups.
The virtual trial was enabled by a July 2023 legal reform allowing collective gang trials; defendants appeared by camera from the CECOT megaprison, and no verdict date was announced.
Human Rights Watch and other groups say the proceedings deny credible evidence and real defense rights under the state of emergency, under which more than 92,480 people have been jailed since March 2022.
Bukele's crackdown still retains broad public support despite more than 6,000 abuse complaints and at least 547 deaths in custody, and follows a November mass conviction of 45 Barrio 18 members.
As other nations fail to copy the 'Bukele model', what makes El Salvador's security miracle so uniquely successful and controversial?
Can a nation trade judicial due process for public safety and achieve a lasting, genuine peace?
El Salvador’s Mass Trial of 900 MS-13 Members: Security Gains, Human Rights Costs, and the Future of Democracy
Overview
El Salvador is conducting an unprecedented mass trial of alleged MS-13 members, aiming to dismantle the gang’s extensive criminal network. The trial involves remote court hearings from a mega-prison, with the prosecution alleging that MS-13 used over a thousand children and hundreds of women in its operations. Authorities claim that gang leaders issued orders from inside Zacatecoluca prison, which were then relayed through the chain of command to those who carried out violent acts. This sweeping legal action is part of a broader crackdown on gangs, raising concerns about due process and human rights.