El Salvador Blocks Rural Province, Sends Thousands of Troops and Police To Crackdown Gangs

El Salvador's government launched a significant operation in the rural province of Cabañas, deploying approximately 8,000 soldiers and police officers to search for street gang members, AP reports.

This raid marks one of the largest actions taken since President Nayib Bukele initiated a crackdown on El Salvador gangs in March 2022.

The operation involved around 1,000 police officers and 7,000 soldiers strategically positioned across Cabañas province to establish checkpoints on all entry and exit roads.

The decision to carry out this operation was prompted by a recent shooting attack on a police patrol vehicle over the weekend, which resulted in the injury of two officers.

President Bukele claims that members of the notorious MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs have sought refuge in the province to evade the ongoing government crackdown. He categorizes these gang members as "terrorists."

In a tweet, President Bukele stated, "Cabañas has become the place with the largest number of terrorists, who came seeking to use the rural areas to hide."

He further emphasized that this extensive operation is aimed at enhancing security in the area and declared an unwavering commitment to pursue all criminals until they are apprehended.

President Nayib Bukele's War on El Salvador Gangs

Since March 2022, when a state of emergency was declared following a surge in gang-related murders, over 70,000 individuals suspected of being gang members have been arrested in El Salvador.

The country, which is considered one of the most dangerous in the world, has taken significant measures to combat gang violence, BBC noted.

However, the scope of the arrests has raised concerns as thousands of people with no apparent ties to gang activity have also been caught in the extensive dragnet.

Critics have expressed worries over the recent decision by the country's lawmakers to allow mass trials, fearing that due process and individual rights may be compromised.

Despite the ongoing security operations and the deployment of soldiers, President Nayib Bukele urged residents and tourists to remain calm and carry on with their normal activities.

Nonetheless, images of trucks carrying soldiers were reported in the regional towns of Tejutepeque and Ilobaso.

Cabañas, the province where the current operation is taking place, is an agricultural region and home to more than 160,000 people. It spans a relatively small area of just over 1,000 square kilometers.

El Salvador Lawmakers Agree to Mass Trial Thousands Jailed in Gang Raids

Last week, the El Salvador congress approved new rules aimed at streamlining the judicial process for accused gang members by conducting mass trials to expedite legal proceedings and address the issue of gang-related crimes more efficiently.

While the lawmakers have assured that individuals found not to have any affiliations with gangs will be released, opposition politicians and human rights groups remain skeptical about the implications of conducting group trials.

They argue that such mass trials might jeopardize detainees' right to due process and the fundamental principle of individual presumption of innocence.

Critics fear that the collective nature of these trials could undermine the proper examination of each defendant's case, potentially leading to wrongful convictions or overlooking individual circumstances.

In addition to the measure on mass trials, congress also approved a separate bill that increases the maximum sentence for gang leaders from 45 to 60 years.

This legislative change reflects El Salvador's ongoing commitment to combat gang-related activities and impose harsher penalties on gang leaders.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Inside El Salvador's gang crackdown - From BBC News