El Salvador: Mara Street Gangs Targeting Tourists along Pacific Coast

janes.com reported El Salvador’s Mara street gangs have started targeting tourists for extortion, local media reported on 28 July. According to reports, members of the Mara gangs – organised street gangs with a presence in several Central American territories – have set up extortion points in the western department of Usulután on El Salvador’s Pacific Coast and are targeting tourists and commercial vendors for USD5-25. Usulután attracts domestic and foreign tourists visiting the Jiquilisco Bay nature reserve. The areas worst affected by Mara gang activity in Usulután include Corral de Mulas, El Zamorán, Isla de Méndez, and San Marcos Lempa. This report comes amid rising insecurity in El Salvador.

AREAS OF HIGH RISK CONCERN:
Usulután, La Libertad, Acajutla and La Unión
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