The justice of The Savior sentenced a gang member Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) to 460 years in prison for aggravated extortion, the Public Ministry reported this Thursday.
Another member of the criminal gang received a 360-year sentencewhile six other gang members were sentenced to between 60 and 20 years in prison.
LOOK HERE: 2,000 gang members transferred to maximum security prison in El Salvador, reports Bukele
O Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) reported on his X account (formerly Twitter) that he managed to “that 8 MS gang members receive sentences of up to 460 years in prison for extorting 24 victims”.
“With abundant evidence, the FGR showed that gang members demanded between 40 and 100 dollars a month from traders, buseros (public transport bus owners) and taxi drivers to let them work.” he added.
The Public Ministry did not detail during which period the extortions were committed, which affected residents of the cities of Guatajiagua, Morazan, City neighborhoods, Chapel It is Moncaguaall located in the east of the country.
In July 2023 the Salvadoran Congressat the request of the president’s government Nayib Bukeleapproved reforms that allow mass criminal trials against gang members without the need to individualize the responsibilities of the accused.
At the time, an increase in sentences for gang leaders from 45 to 60 years in prison was also approved. More than a year earlier, Congress also approved punishing membership in a criminal gang with a sentence of between 20 and 30 years.
Before the Bukele government declared an offensive against gangs in March 2022, protected by an emergency regime questioned by humanitarian organizations, gangs were fueled by extortion and the sale and distribution of drugs.
Those who did not pay were threatened with death or, in the worst cases, were murdered.
MORE INFORMATION: Alleged leader of Salvadoran MS-13 gang extradited to New York
After the start of “war”against gangs by the Bukele government, extortion was drastically reduced and, according to authorities, has almost disappeared.
In a recent interview with AFP, the Minister of Justice and Security Gustavo Villatoroassured that through extortion “the crime industry“The gangs generated between 1,500 and 2,000 million dollars annually, but currently extortion”They don’t even reach 5%”Of that amount.
According to official data, more than 80,000 suspected gang members were arrested during the emergency regime.
Source: Elcomercio
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