The US pressures El Salvador for the extradition of Mara Salvatrucha leaders

The United States asked the Salvadoran authorities on Friday to extradite “immediately” members and leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha gang who are required by justice in the North American country for various crimes, including terrorism.

The charge d’affaires of the US Embassy, ​​Patrick Ventrell, specifically mentioned Eliú Melgar, alias “Blue”, imprisoned in El Salvador since 2018 for allegedly ordering homicides and other crimes on the East Coast of the United States.

“The best way for the government of El Salvador to show that it seriously wants a real, lasting and sustainable solution to reduce gang violence is to extradite the most dangerous leaders,” Ventrell told a news conference.

United States federal prosecutors charged 14 leaders of the criminal gang in January 2021 for the alleged crime of terrorism.

Authorities in El Salvador, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reutershave refused to give details about the whereabouts of the gang members.

For its part, the Supreme Court of Justice assured in 2021 that it carried out an “analysis” of extradition requests.

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