El Salvador judges impose 1,000-year prison terms on gang members

A Salvadoran court handed down cumulative prison terms totaling 1,000 years to a group of gang members convicted of multiple violent offenses, including homicide, extortion and illegal weapons possession. The sentences, delivered on Tuesday, apply to ten individuals linked to the notorious MS‑13 and Barrio 18 organizations, who were found guilty of orchestrating a series of attacks that resulted in the deaths of at least six civilians and the intimidation of dozens of local businesses. Judges applied the country’s “maximum penalty” provision, which allows sentences to be stacked for each count, resulting in the unprecedented aggregate term.

The rulings come amid President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive anti‑gang campaign, which has seen a surge in arrests and the implementation of emergency measures that suspend certain constitutional protections for suspected gang affiliates. International human‑rights groups have expressed concern over due‑process standards, while the Salvadoran government argues that the harsh penalties are necessary to dismantle entrenched criminal networks. The 1,000‑year sentences underscore the administration’s resolve to maintain public security, marking one of the most severe judicial outcomes in the nation’s recent crackdown on gang activity.