El Salvador Maintains Strong Anti-Drug Strategy and Continues to Lower Homicide Rates in 2025.

El Salvador continues to demonstrate its firm commitment to combating transnational drug trafficking and organized crime, with authorities reporting the seizure of 22.6 tons of cocaine at sea between January 1, 2024, and February 2025.

In parallel, the country has maintained a steady reduction in homicidal violence, reinforcing its status as one of the safest nations in Latin America. According to official data from the National Civil Police (PNC), El Salvador recorded just 29 homicides during the first five months of 2025, with an average of 0.19 homicides per day—a stark contrast to 2015, when the country saw an average of 18 homicides daily.

Monthly figures for this year indicate six homicides in January, three in February, eight in March, six in April, and six in May. Authorities affirm that nearly all homicide cases in 2025 have been solved, underscoring a commitment to justice through the principle: “Homicide committed, murderer captured.”

These results are the consequence of ongoing efforts under the Territorial Control Plan and the state of emergency initiated by President Nayib Bukele since taking office in 2019. These policies have systematically dismantled criminal organizations responsible for the majority of violent crime in past decades.

By comparison, in 2015, over 90% of homicides went unpunished, and in 2018, more than 2,000 murders were recorded, with a 97% impunity rate. As of April 2025, authorities confirm that over 98% of homicides have been resolved, reflecting a dramatic improvement in public safety and institutional response.

“We will have no mercy on anyone who attempts to take the life of a Salvadoran. We will make them pay with years in prison,” stated Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro, reaffirming the government’s zero-tolerance stance on violent crime.

El Salvador’s results position the country as a regional model in crime reduction and maritime anti-narcotics operations, backed by both national efforts and international cooperation.