Security and Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro made the remarks on local television on Friday evening, when he revealed the results of the siege established by police and army troops in the 10 de October community, in San Salvador Sur, where drugs and weapons were also seized.

“To date, 34 arrests have been recorded in the Cerco San Marcos, 13 of which are linked to gangs,” Villatoro said.

On Monday, October 28, President Nayib Bukele implemented this siege, which included 2,000 soldiers and 500 police officers. This is the ninth siege the government has launched since the start of the fifth phase of the Territorial Control Plan, El Mundo newspaper informed.

A release from the Presidential Palace, in turn, announced the arrest after his extradition from the United States of a “ranflero” (a national leader of the MS-13), who has eight arrest warrants for homicide, in addition to being accused of planning attacks against police officers.

Victor Alfonso Arias Rodas, profiled as a “ranflero” of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), was moved to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), the report indicated.

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