El Salvador’s Mass Trial Targets MS-13 in Historic Case

El Salvador has initiated a massive collective trial against 486 alleged members of the MS-13 gang, including high-ranking national leaders and street-level coordinators.

This proceeding is a cornerstone of President Nayib Bukele’s “iron-fisted” crackdown on organized crime, which has seen tens of thousands arrested under a prolonged state of emergency.

The defendants are charged with a staggering 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including nearly 29,000 homicides and the crime of rebellion for attempting to establish a “parallel state.”

While Bukele’s strategy has dramatically lowered the nation’s murder rate and garnered high domestic popularity, international human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have condemned the mass trials.

They cite a lack of due process, the use of anonymous judges, and the risk of sentencing innocent people alongside the guilty in these “one-size-fits-all” judicial proceedings.