Mass trial for 486 alleged MS-13 gang leaders begins in El Salvador

The group are collectively accused of committing more than 47,000 crimes, including murder. Mass trial for 486 alleged MS-13 gang leaders begins in El Salvador Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. El Salvador's government has carried out a years-long controversial crackdown on organised crime groups A group of hundreds of men with shaved heads, wearing white t-shirts and shorts or trousers and blue surgical masks, are seen sitting on white plastic chairs in an open space at a confinement centre in El Salvador A mass trial of 486 suspected MS-13 gang leaders has begun in El Salvador, the country's attorney general's office has said. The group are collectively accused of committing more than 47,000 crimes - including murder, extortion, drug and arms trafficking - between 2012 and 2022. Among those on trial are people alleged to have been involved in a wave of gang violence in March 2022, which saw 87 people killed in one weekend, and led President Nayib Bukele to declare a "war on gangs". The attorney general's office did not provide details on the length of the trial, but said it had "compelling" evidence that would allow "maximum penalties" to be imposed on those found guilty. MS-13 is a transnational gang which was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US last year. It was founded in Los Angeles during the 1980s, formed by immigrants who had fled El Salvador's civil war, but its presence is now larger in Central America. The attorney general's office said "for years, this structure has operated systematically, instilling fear and grief in Salvadoran families". It said the charges against the 486 suspects people also included femicide and disappearances, adding that the crimes had impacted lives and limited the country's economic and social development. In addition, the accused are charged with "rebellion for attempting to maintain territorial control to establish a parallel state", the office said. It said 413 suspects were already in custody, while arrest warrants had been issued for 73 others who are being prosecuted in absentia. El Salvador's National Civil Police said it had developed research and monitoring efforts enabling it to "locate, capture, and document the criminal activity of the suspects". A controversial state of emergency, which expanded powers to arrest those suspected of gang affiliation or support and suspened some constitutional rights, has been in place in El Salvador since March 2022. , which expanded powers to arrest those suspected of gang affiliation or support and suspened some constitutional rights, has been in place in El Salvador since March 2022. It has seen tens of thousands of suspected gang members arrested, but human rights groups have argued it has led to arbitrary detentions. Legal changes in the country have also allowed for mass trials. Face and chest tattoos identify members of Mara Salvatrucha Nayib Bukele speaks while holding up his right hand. He wears a black suit and black shirt. El Salvador scraps term limits, paving way for Bukele to rule indefinitely Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wearing a black hat and holding a microphone, speaks to supporters as he arrives for his first check-in at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Office. Kilmar Abrego Garcia freed from US immigration detention A new documentary focusing on knife crime explores postcode rivalries between gangs in Bristol. The army has been deployed to five of South Africa's nine provinces for a year-long operation. The attack happened in the Artibonite region, where members of the Gran Grif gang have targeted locals in the past. The two died in a car crash after a Mexican-led operation to destroy a clandestine drug lab. Seven men who moved more than 350kg of cocaine around the country were jailed at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. The county lines taskforce recovers £500,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Esten Bennet has been jailed for more than five years after supplying drugs in Telford and Wales. Érick Valencia Salazar was among a group of 29 alleged drug lords extradited to the US from Mexico.