Overview
- Prosecutors said the group was found guilty of 43 homicides, 42 disappearances and other crimes such as extortion, home invasions and drug trafficking committed mainly between 2014 and 2022.
- Marvin Abel Hernández Palacios, known as “Nocturno de Teclas,” received the highest reported term of 1,335 years for involvement in more than 20 aggravated murders, including the killing of footballer Jimena Granados.
- Other defendants drew multi‑century terms, with official examples of 958, 880, 873, 745, 739, 702, 639, 543, 530 and 463 years.
- The case unfolds under a state of exception in force since March 2022, during which officials report more than 90,000 arrests and about 8,000 releases after reviews.
- Rights groups cite arbitrary detentions and 454 deaths in custody, families have asked the Supreme Court to review the emergency regime, and Costa Rica’s president has sought to learn from El Salvador’s approach.