In the group of 238 people who were deported by USA to El Salvadormost Venezuelans, was a leader of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) who was accused in New York of terrorism and waited trial. But before his expulsion, César Humberto López Larios, aka the ‘Greñas de Stoner’, his charges were withdrawn. It is considered one of “the twelve apostles of the devil”, in reference to the original founders of the MS-13. Why is this character important and what compromising information does it have about the government of Nayib Bukele?
In total, the government of Donald Trump returned to El Salvador In the early hours of March 23 to 23 members of the Mara Salvatruchaamong which are two leaders who were accused in USA for acts of terrorism.
All deportees were admitted to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT)the world -famous megacárcel who ordered the president to build Nayib Bukele For the most dangerous criminals.
The gang leader César Humberto López Larios on the day of its deportation to El Salvador from the United States.
According to the Salvadoran digital medium The lighthousethe Prosecutor’s Office Eastern District of New York resigned from the accusation of López Lariin unique states in exchange for being tried in El Salvador; alleged that He did it for “geopolitical and national security reasons.”
The lighthouse reported that López Larios was held in the special accommodation wing (SHU) of the Brooklyn Metropolitan Center for Detention. Had been sent to that place by “Specific and credible threats of both MS-13, its own criminal organization, and other rival criminal organizationsincluding the Mexican mafia and the southerners, ”according to a document of November 22, 2024.
Who is the ‘Greñas de Stoner’?
César López Larios, leader of the Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 that was deported by the United States to El Salvador.
He ‘Greñas de Stoner’ He is 47 years old. He was born in the city of Santa Ana, El Salvador.
In his country he has a history of resistance, simple homicide, aggravated homicide, extortion and illicit groups, said the lighthouse.
He lived in the United States, specifically in Los Angeles, but in 1999 he was deported.
In El Salvador he founded the crazy Stoners click.
In 2002, together with other historical leaders, he founded the national ranfla of the gang, the highest direction agency of the MS-13 that over time extended its inflence to Mexico and the east coast of the United States.
López Larios purged prison in El Salvador for simple homicide And it was free in 2011.
In January 2013, he was arrested for imperfect extortion in Chalatenangobut it was released that same year and fled to the United StatesS Where, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, he committed transnational extortion from North Hollywood. He threatened Salvadorans in the United States and El Salvador.
He was captured and deported in 2017 to El Salvador. In his country he was held in the maximum security prison of Zacatecoluca.
El Faro said that since December 2020, López Larios He was accused in the United States of conspiracy to provide and hide the material support for terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism that transcend national borders, conspiracy to finance terrorism and conspiracy for narcoterrorism.
He was arrested on June 9, 2024 in the city of Arriaga, in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
The Mexican authorities sent him to Houston, Texas, where he was delivered to the FBI and to the Immigration and Customs Control Service.
THE PACT WITH BUKELE
El Faro explained that 2019 appeared at USA The first accusation against some leaders of the MS-13Inluido López Larios.
Then, in 2020, the United States Department of Justice formally began persecution against National Ranfla de la Mara Salvatrucha.
On January 14, 2021, the New York Prosecutor’s Office presented an accusation document for terrorism against 14 Salvadoran gang members of the national ranfla. In that accusation it appeared César Antonio López Lariosthe lighthouse said.
According to the accusation, the United States Department of Justice considered that the government of Bukele He secretly negotiated since 2019 with the Mara Salvatruchaand that offered the main gang leaders financial benefits and communication facilities to maintain territorial control and their structures during the duration of that agreement.
The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, makes a gesture while pronouncing a speech to high school students on March 15, 2025. (Marvin Recinos / AFP photo).
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The pact included less restrictive prison conditions and even penalty reductions. In return, according to US federal prosecutors, the MS-13 supported the party New IDEAs in the municipal and legislative elections of 2021, and kept the homicide levels at least until March 2022, when the pact broke, something that was confirmed in audios published by the lighthouse by the Director of Reconstruction of Social Fabric, Carlos Marroquín.
After formalizing the accusation, The United States asked El Salvador to extradition of the gang leaders.
According to the lighthouse, in the judicial documents of the US authorities it is mentioned that part of the pact between the Bukele government and the gangs involved blocking extraditions.
The lighthouse made notes that since May 2021, the Supreme Court of El Salvador, controlled by Bukeledenied at least four extradition requests from Salvadoran criminal leaders. One of them, Elmer Canales Rivera, aka Crook, was illegally released by the Salvadoran authorities in November 2021, months before the truce broke and Bukele decreed in March 2022 his exception regime that remains in force.
Crook was captured by the FBI in Mexico and sent to the United States.
The lighthouse reported that in his despair for recapture to Crookthe Salvadoran government came to negotiate with another fugitive gang leader to agree with a Mexican cartel to orchestrate its arrest and shipment to El Salvador.
“A historical loss”
The CNN chain reported that The deportations of Salvadorans are part of a Trump government plan to pay El Salvador to imprison immigrants accused of crimesas the Venezuelans indicated to be part of the Aragu trainto.
On the case of López Larios, a former federal agent who spent years working in cases of the Ms-13 And other gangs told CNN that “it is a historical loss.” He argued that it was a high -level potential source that will no longer face US justice.
López Larios He was able to provide abundant information not only of the Operations of the MS-13 gang in Mexico and the United States, but also to talk about the agreements made with Salvadoran government officials who have helped gang members to avoid processing in the United States, CNN noted.
