Blockade of Soyapango

Blockade of Soyapango
Part of the Salvadoran gang crackdown
Date	3–31 December 2022 (28 days)
Location	Soyapango, El Salvador 13°42′35″N 89°08′19″W / 13.70972°N 89.13861°W / 13.70972; -89.13861
Resulted in	Government victory Government control asserted in Soyanpango and removal of gang related graffiti 1,300+ alleged gang members apprehended Security vigil stepped up in city
Parties
Salvadoran government Salvadoran Army National Civil Police Criminal gangs Mara Salvatrucha 18th Street gang
Lead figures
Nayib Bukele René Merino Monroy Mauricio Arriaza Uncentralized leadership
Number
10,000 Unknown
Casualties
Arrested	1,300+ (as of June 2023)[1]

The blockade of Soyapango was a Salvadoran government operation to arrest criminal gang members of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 18th Street gang in the city of Soyapango. The operation began on 3 December 2022 when Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced that 10,000 members of the country's security forces surrounded the city. As of January 2023 the active phase of the blockade has been completed; however, security forces are still engaged in removing gang related symbols and the security setup in the area has been enhanced.^[2]