Almost 500 El Salvador gang members on mass trial together for 29,000 murders in wild photos

Around 490 alleged members of the powerful Central American gang Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 watch on (Image:El Salvador Attorney General's Office/AFP via Getty Images)Almost 500 El Salvador gang members on mass trial together for 29,000 murders in wild photosAlleged members of the infamous MS-13 cartel have gone on trial together in El Salvador, all charged with a staggering 47,000 crimes, including nearly 30,000 murdersByJohnny GoldsmithPicture Editor15:19, 21 Apr 2026The terrifying faces of Central America’s most dangerous gang have been beamed into court from behind the walls of a high-tech mega-prison. Nearly 500 alleged members of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang, known as MS-13 appeared via video link for a historic mass trial. Prosecutors in El Salvador say the group is responsible for a staggering 47,000 crimes, including 29,000 murders committed between 2012 and 2022. The defendants, appearing from the ultra-secure Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center, are accused of trying to run a "parallel state" according to the Attorney General's Office.1 of 4Alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) during a remote court hearing via video link (Image:El Salvador Attorney General's Office/AFP via Getty Images)2 of 4Members of MS-13 during a remote group court hearing (Image:El Salvador Attorney General's Office/AFP via Getty Images)3 of 4Around 490 alleged members, including its leaders, have gone on trial collectively (Image:El Salvador Attorney General's Office/AFP via Getty Images)4 of 4The accused watched in via video link from the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center mega-prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador (Image:El Salvador Attorney General's Office/AFP via Getty Images)FollowMirrorFacebookX (Twitter)MORE ONCrimeEl Salvador