MS-13 gang member sentenced to 1,335 years in prison, others given hundreds of years in El Salvador
CBS News2 days
El Salvador: MS-13 Member Sentenced to More Than a Thousand Years in Prison
Do extreme sentences disincentivize gang activity, or are they only masking secret deals with gang leaders?
Above: Inmates return to their cell after a medical checkup at El Salvador's CECOT on Dec. 15, 2025. Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Extreme sentences like this one send an unmistakable message that violent gang members will never again terrorize Salvadoran communities. These punishments ensure permanent incapacitation of terrorists who held entire neighborhoods hostage for decades, finally matching judicial severity with the toughness needed to dismantle criminal networks. Homicides have plummeted to historic lows, proving that maximum punitive force does work.
Government-critical narrative
Lengthy sentences mask the reality that top gang leaders remain untouched through secret deals with the Bukele administration dating back to 2019. Prison intelligence and government documents reveal direct negotiations between officials and MS-13 and Barrio 18 leaders, offering financial incentives and prison perks in exchange for reduced violence. Drug flows continue increasing while kingpins get privileges as thousands of innocents and pawns rot in jail.
Metaculus Prediction
There's a 7% chance that Nayib Bukele will rule El Salvador for life, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Public Figures
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0