Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Video Credit: CEN/@FGR_SV
Cops have found 20 skeletons in El Salvador belonging to victims of a brutal gang which originated in the US.
The skeletons were found as part of an investigation launched by the General Attorneys Office of the municipality of Soyapango in the San Salvador department in El Salvador.
According to The General Attorney’s Office, 12 skeletons were initially found in a residential area known as Vista al Lago located in the municipality of Ilopango, also in the San Salvador department, in May this year.
Local media report 128 gang members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, known as MS-13, an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles in the United States, were arrested as part of the investigation into the murders on 23rd of May.
The gang members are also accused of extortion and illegal association.
A further eight skeletons have now been dug up in the area which was used as a mass grave by the gang.
The Head of the General Attorney’s Office David Acosta told local media: “We are now finishing sector ‘C’, which has been subdivided into three parts. In the previous two, we have found six bodies and in this last part we expect to find two more.
“In total, the effort of the Attorney’s Office has led to the discovery of 20 bodies or bones throughout ‘Vista al Lago’, but the work is ongoing, to give peace to the families that have a relative here.”
Excavators are still working at the location which has been divided into five sectors.
Only three of the five sectors have been excavated and the local authorities believe there might be more bodies at the site.
MS-13 originated in Los Angeles in the 1970s and 1980s and was first set up to help protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the area. Its global membership is estimated at up to 50,000.
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
