In a dramatic escalation of El Salvador's war on gangs, a court has handed down individual prison sentences exceeding 1,000 years to members of the El Gremio gang. The Attorney General's office announced that 28 gang members were convicted of drug trafficking, money laundering, and illicit associations. Notably, two members received sentences of 1,048 years each.
Government's Aggressive Stance
These hefty sentences are part of right-wing President Nayib Bukele's ongoing campaign against gangs, which began in 2022. This initiative has resulted in the arrest of more than 90,000 alleged gang members, many of whom are held in maximum-security prisons.
Legal and Human Rights Concerns
The sentencing comes after a constitutional reform in March 2026, approved by the Bukele-controlled Congress, which removed the previous maximum sentence of 60 years and introduced life imprisonment for certain crimes. This reform also extended maximum sentences to children under 18. Critics, including NGOs and human rights groups, argue that Bukele's government lacks judicial independence and has committed crimes against humanity, leading to arbitrary detentions and deaths in custody.
