So far in the war against the gangs, a total of 56,847 gang members have been captured under the accusation of illegal groups, extortion, and other crimes, as reported by the Minister of Justice and Security, Gustavo Villatoro.
Villatoro also detailed that they have seized 1,820 firearms, 2,201 vehicles, 13,392 cell phones, and $1,420,000.
“In El Salvador, we have a great leader, President Nayib Bukele, who has commanded this war against gangs; this is completed with the support of the population and the coordinated work of our National Civil Police,” said the minister.
The official emphasized that the captures are carried out with respect for human rights and added that the exception regime does not affect the honest population but rather the members and collaborators of the terrorist structures.
“Within the work of the exception regime, there are clean procedures with respect for life, including criminals. Having this number of captures and so few events where there are deaths speaks well of the work carried out, “said Villatoro.
The head of security highlighted that the measure against the gangs has allowed a sustained reduction in homicides, which for October averaged 0.5 violent deaths per day.
“The drop in homicides has been a constant variable in these seven months that we have been in the emergency regime; these data reflect that what is being done works. They are a series of strategies that are aimed at safeguarding the lives of the population,” the official explained.