On June 21, 2025, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele ordered the deployment of a security cordon composed of 1,500 soldiers and 500 police officers in San Bartolo, Ilopango, after intelligence reports indicated that gang members were attempting to return and reorganize in the area.
The President announced the operation through his official X (formerly Twitter) account, emphasizing the government’s firm stance against any resurgence of gang activity. “We will extract every last terrorist hiding in that area. We will not allow them to reorganize. The safest country on the continent is respected,” President Bukele declared.
The joint deployment of the Armed Forces and the National Civil Police reinforces the government’s ongoing Territorial Control Plan, which has dramatically reduced crime rates and positioned El Salvador as the safest country in Latin America. Authorities confirmed that the operation in San Bartolo aims to maintain order, guarantee citizen security, and ensure that gang structures do not reemerge in communities previously affected by violence.
Since the implementation of Bukele’s security strategies, El Salvador has seen an unprecedented decline in homicides and gang activity, earning international recognition for its results in restoring peace and public safety.
With this latest action, President Nayib Bukele’s administration reaffirms its commitment to protecting Salvadorans and preserving the country’s historic transformation in security and stability.