Illegal drug trade in El Salvador has included, according to some sources, trans-shipping ofcocaine by theNicaraguan Contras.
Former DEA agentCelerino Castillo alleged that during the 1980sIlopango Airport inEl Salvador was used byNicaraguan Contras for drug smuggling flights with the knowledge and complicity of the CIA. These allegations were part of an investigation by theUnited States Department of JusticeOffice of the Inspector General.[1] Castillo also testified before theHouse Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Between 1996 and 1998 theCentral Intelligence Agency investigated and then published a report about its alleged involvement in cocaine sales in the US. This was prompted by the journalistGary Webb's report in theSan Jose Mercury News alleging that the CIA was behind the 1980scrack epidemic.[2]
El Salvador is one of the biggest sources for human trafficking. Most victims are females who are sold mainly for sex and children for forced labor. Trafficking offenders use fraudulent documentation to facilitate the movement of foreign victims. Salvadorans have been subjected to forced prostitution in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, the United States, Spain, and Italy.[3]
As of July 2024, 81,110[4] people accused of gang affiliation have been arrested. The large influx of prisoners has overwhelmed the prisons in El Salvador. Human rights groups have expressed concern that the arrests were unjustified and had little to do with gang violence. Multiple U.S. government representatives expressed concern about the violence taking place in the country and the methods used to stop it. Following a spike in murders, the El Salvador presidentNayib Bukele ordered law enforcement to arrest all suspects.[5]
For years El Salvador maintained one of the highest murder rates in the world. In 2022 following the crackdown, the murder rate was reported to have decreased by 56.8%. Authorities registered 496 homicides in 2022, down from 1,147 in 2021. The government did not include deaths that involved law enforcement and gang violence. Measures taken by the El Salvadorian government, such as the arrests of over 58,000 people without trial, have drawn criticism from human rights groups.Human Rights Watch reported police were given arrest quotas, leading to arrests based on insufficient evidence. Despite the objections, public approval for the crackdowns remains high.[6][7]
