U.S. prosecutors have evidence of links between Bukele and gang leaders Mara Salvatrucha

Published at: 08/07/2025 11:00 AM

U.S. prosecutors have collected evidence linking the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, to leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, according to an investigation published by The New York Times. The report argues that the Salvadoran government would have reached an agreement with high-profile members of the organization in exchange for reducing homicides and politically favoring the president.

The information emerged as a result of the repatriation of nine MS-13 ringleaders imprisoned in US prisons, a measure that broke with the usual legal criteria of that country, which avoids returning serious criminals to their nations of origin. This exception would have occurred after Bukele agreed to receive migrants convicted of crimes on U.S. territory into his prison system, International Media reported.

The New York Times stated that the return of the gang members was requested by Bukele before accepting the transfer of hundreds of prisoners, mainly Venezuelans, to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT). The media also noted that prosecutors began to directly investigate the Salvadoran head of state.

CNN, for its part, revealed that Bukele's brother would have participated in the negotiations. Emails obtained through that channel indicate that the agreement included a 50% reduction in costs for each offender transferred, in exchange for returning the nine criminals. In previous statements, Bukele stated that El Salvador received around six million dollars for housing these prisoners.

During Donald Trump's presidency, in 2020, U.S. authorities had already received reports of a possible understanding between the Salvadoran government and the MS-13. Despite Trump's speech about eradicating this criminal structure, the transfer of gang leaders coincides with a halt in related judicial investigations.

The returnees requested by Bukele are: Humberto López Larios (Greñas), Elmer Rivera Canales (Crook), Fredy Iván Jandres Parada (Lucky from Park View), Marlon Antonio Menjívar Portillo (Red from Park View), Jorge Alexander de la Cruz (Cruger), José Wilfredo Ayala Alcántara (Hollywood Indian), Francisco Javier Román Bardales (the Veteran), Walter Yovani Hernández Rivera (Baxter from Park View) and Vladimir Antonio Arévalo Chávez (Vampire of Park View) Montserrat). All of them have serious criminal records.

Mazo News Team