MS-13 gang members fleeing El Salvador could reach Mexico

The mayor of the Salvadorean city of Santa Ana warned on Thursday that the operations and arrests of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members in the Central American country could cause some to flee to neighboring countries such as Honduras or Guatemala, where they have also been arrested.

However, he did not rule out that they may also seek refuge in Mexican territory. Therefore, he asked the municipal president of Tapachula, in the state of Chiapas, Roda Irene Urbina Castañeda, to reinforce operations and work together with the Central American country to establish a "regular and orderly migration in the region."

"They have already contacted us to come to Mexico," said Psycho Raw, an MS-13 leader in Tapachula, indicating that Salvadoran gang members under siege by Nayib Bukele's government may choose the country to hide from authorities.

Psycho Raw's testimony, published on Saturday by Diario del Sur, claims that the gangs are able to reach Aztec soil easily because of the fragile southern Mexican border and because "many of them no longer wear tattoos."

"Let President Nayib Bukele think things through if he wants the good of his people. Let him come to an agreement, and this will end. But if he continues to lacerate those who are locked up and the hunt, the only thing that will happen is that homicides will increase," Psycho Raw warned the president after the legal changes.

After months of decline, murders in El Salvador reached numbers that had not been seen in nearly 30 years. In response, on March 30, the country’s Legislative Assembly approved a controversial presidential request to reform the penal code and toughen sentences against gang members.

Previously, Bukele declared a state of emergency in the country after more than 80 murders were reported during the previous weekend.

Bukele assumed power in 2019, promising to fight organized crime and reduce the country’s homicide rate. However, following the record number of murders, the Salvadoran government reinforced security on the streets.

However, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his concern about the situation in El Salvador and said he hoped that "the measures adopted in response will be in line with international human rights laws and standards."