El Salvador’s Minister of Justice and Public Security, Gustavo Villatoro, announced the capture of five Salvadoran gang members in Mexican territory who were attempting to flee justice. The high-profile arrest was carried out through a joint security operation involving authorities from El Salvador, Mexico, and Guatemala, leading to the immediate extradition of the suspects to face criminal charges.
Among those detained is Remberto Ismael Colindres Rajo, known as “Little Man,” a fugitive who previously appeared in investigative reports by the digital media outlet El Faro. Following the arrest, Minister Villatoro directed severe criticism at the outlet, accusing what he termed “pseudo-journalists” of attempting to negotiate asylum and safe haven in Mexico for the suspect in exchange for his media participation.
The government official forcefully condemned efforts to provide a public platform to criminal figures, stating: “While other inerts give them the value they think they have by giving them a voice, we act according to the law, removing them from society and treating these subjects as what they truly are: MURDERERS.” He further asserted that the media outlet’s alleged attempt to protect the fugitive ultimately failed against international law enforcement efforts.
In addition to Colindres Rajo, authorities processed four other individuals with active criminal records: Diego Omar Cañas Méndez, Josué Antonio Acevedo Cruz, Juan Carlos González Valiente, and Luis Roberto Jandres. All five detainees will be formally prosecuted for illegal associations and other related offenses under El Salvador’s strict anti-gang legal framework.
Reaffirming the country’s uncompromising stance against organized crime, security officials emphasized that criminal organizations no longer have a foothold in the nation. The government reiterated its commitment to using all legal mechanism available to ensure that gang members face long-term imprisonment and answer fully for their crimes.