Presentacin de PowerPoint

ARMS TRAFFICKING FROM THE ARMED FORCESOF EL SALVADOR

1

How did it start?

During 2009 and 2010, many hand grenade attacks ocurred in El Salvador. Although we questioned the minister of Defense several times about the possibility that the weapons could be owned by the Armed Forces, he denied it.

Other cases

In 2011, 8 military men were arrested when they were trying to extract many grenades previously buried in a military area. During the same years, a captain was arrested in USA for selling explosives to a undercover agent and because he was trying to sell drugs. Other persons were captured by police for similar offenses in El Salvador and Honduras.Two years later, 2013, a source leaked us an undercover video where a lieutenant was selling 6 pounds of C4 plastic explosive and 2 detonators for $675.

The video

DOUBTSSince 2011, we started to wonder what was going on? Salvadoran law states (like in many other countries) that the Ministry of Defense is the only allowed to get and buy war weapons.

WHAT DID WE DO?

Since 2011 we get in touch with key sources, some of them involved in the investigation of active cases for know and understand what was going on . We got this by covering some of the cases constantly in the hearings. We planned a scheddule with questions and possible sources, and a long To Do list.

THE MAIN PROBLEMWe knew that we needed to link some weapons seizures with the registers of salvadoran armed forces. The main problem was this information is considered confidential due to national security.

THE RESEARCH

VICTIMS

COMPARISONWe had the opportunity to check a court record that was under reserve

LEAKS

WE PROVED:

THANKS