Since Sunday, law enforcement forces have taken full control of four districts in Southern Chalatenango with the aim of dismantling what remains of a Gang 18 structure, whose members are linked to two murders.
In response to these crimes, the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele, ordered 5,000 soldiers and 1,000 police officers to surround the entrances and exits of the following districts: San José Cancasque, San Antonio Los Ranchos, Potonico, and San Isidro Labrador to safeguard the lives of all residents and to track down more criminals.
Through his social media channels, the president stated, “A few days ago, there were two homicides in the northern zone of our country. We have already captured the two culprits, members of the Southern 18 gang.”
Furthermore, he warned criminals: “We will not stop until we eradicate what little remains of the gangs.” President Bukele’s directives were immediately followed by the Minister of Defense, René Francis Merino Monroy.
“We will completely clean the area; we will extract every last remnant of gangs,” assured the military chief.
Within less than 24 hours of the military encirclement being installed, authorities have arrested eight criminals, two of whom are directly linked to the homicides. The suspects were identified as Emmanuel Bartolo Quintanilla, alias Panther, and José Elías Ramírez, alias The Humble.
The Director of Police, Commissioner Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, ensured that there is sufficient evidence linking the accused to these crimes.
Police investigations have revealed that these individuals are homeboys of the Southern 18 gang, a remnant that remained hidden from police operations but has now been apprehended.
The murders for which these criminals are accused occurred in the Guarjila canton of the Chalatenango district on Monday, March 18, and Friday, March 22 in San Antonio Los Ranchos; the victims were attacked with shotguns, which were confiscated from the criminals.
CRIMINALS TRACED VICTIMS
Police have determined that the criminals tracked the victims similarly when they were traveling in vehicles to attend parties; upon reaching desolate areas, they obstructed their path with logs, stones, and even vehicles to force them to stop and then shot at them.
These were criminal acts planned by the gang structure.
The security cordon includes vehicle checkpoints to ensure that criminals do not attempt to leave the area through this route, as well as inspections to detect the transfer of firearms, drugs, or other illicit activities.
Law enforcement also verifies the legality of those living in community residences to ensure they are not occupied by criminals.