El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the national prosecution authority, ordered the capture of 27 people and the seizure of sea and land vehicles in an operation against a cartel moving drugs from Nicaragua to Guatemala.[1] The case prosecutor said the structure operates nationally but maintains international links to move drugs from Nicaragua to the Guatemalan border.[1] The investigation dates back more than three years and began with the seizure of 533 kilos of cocaine and 97 pounds of marijuana (about 44 kg).[1] Walter Alexander Ramos Alvarenga was among those captured and was described as the suspected leader of the organization.[1] Prosecutors said Ramos will face drug-trafficking prosecution over a 330-kilo cocaine seizure on 15 June 2021 and six cases of proposing and conspiring homicide.[1]

Investigators attribute approximately 533 kilos of cocaine, 97 pounds of marijuana (about 44 kg), cash, vehicles and boats to date to three structures operating nationally and internationally.[1] During the operation authorities requested raids on at least 54 properties across the country, seizing cash, land vehicles and boats.[1] Officers also seized a 9mm firearm and an A15 rifle, as well as satellite and cellular phones.[1] Among the seized items was a facial-recognition surveillance system taken from Ramos Alvarenga’s business.[1]

The case prosecutor said the group had repeatedly moved drugs from Nicaragua to the Guatemalan border, calling the operation a blow against organized crime that had also kept Salvadorans in anxiety.[1] The report did not specify whether the drugs were for regional consumption or for shipment onward.[1]