Members of the South Cibao Regional Command of the National Police have apprehended one of the most wanted criminals in Central America, a man wanted since 2014 in El Salvador. He is Mario Ernesto Peña Colocho, a noted member of the Salvadorian gang Mara Salvatrucha or M-13. Peña Colocho is among the “Most Wanted,” and there is a heavy reward for his capture.
The authorities are investigating how Peña managed to get into the country, and under what name. They are also interested in just what he was doing here.
The MS-13 (Mara) is a transnational criminal gang, with more than 10,000 members regularly operating in the United States, and tens of thousands more in Latin America, according to US Justice Department estimates. It is well known among law enforcement agencies in Central America, the United States and Western Europe (Italy, Spain and Portugal), where they operate gangs under the motto: “You live by the Mara and you die by the Mara.” Membership in the gang is not limited to Salvadorians, and have people from Guatemala and Honduras, as well. Generally speaking, they can be identified by the tattoos that mark their bodies and faces, as well as the violence of their actions.
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13 April 2020