Costa Rican authorities on Friday arrested a Salvadoran man, identified as the alleged “leader” of one of the cells of the criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) in El Salvador, Costa Rican immigration police said.
The detainee, Escobar Mojica, was detained at the Peñas Blancas border crossing between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, almost 300 km northwest of San José.
“After a serious investigation, carried out with the help of international contacts, it has been established that he belongs to MS-13 and that he is one of the leaders of MS-13 in El Salvador,” said Enrique Arguedas, Police Director. of Migration of Costa Rica.
900 gang leaders arrested
Mojica will remain in custody for the next few days until his extradition to El Salvador, Costa Rican authorities said.
Dozens of gang members are seeking to leave the neighboring country of Costa Rica to flee the “war on crime” launched by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in March 2022.
According to the latest official data, 61,000 suspected gang members have been arrested, including 900 leaders, most of them from the two main gangs: Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18.
Source: BFM TV
