A Mass Trial of Alleged MS-13 Gang Members Wraps Up in El Salvador

A three-month mass trial of hundreds of alleged MS-13 members concluded in El Salvador as prosecutors delivered closing arguments and sought maximum sentences. The case covered 485 defendants accused of committing thousands of crimes, including dozens of killings, between 2012 and 2022. Authorities say the group used violence, extortion, drugs, weapons and human trafficking, including alleged exploitation of children and women. Human rights groups criticized the trial’s collective approach under El Salvador’s state of emergency, which has allowed mass detentions since March 2022.