Rich People Trades
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing

Rich People Trades

World News

The wrong tattoo can get you stopped by police. But artists in El Salvador say more people want their ink

by admin April 15, 2025
April 15, 2025
The wrong tattoo can get you stopped by police. But artists in El Salvador say more people want their ink

Gang tattoos were once a vital currency in El Salvador, just a few years ago when it was known as the “murder capital of the world.”

Some designs confirmed membership of MS-13 or 18th Street —ultra-violent street organizations that ruled with machetes and intimidation — and commemorated slain gang members while issuing warnings to the living.

Now, under the strict rule of President Nayib Bukele, suspected gang tattoos can be used as evidence of membership in an illegal organization, and lead to detention. Intelligence on those tattoos has also been shared by El Salvador with European countries dealing with gangs, and with the United States, where on Monday Bukele is set for a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.

Tattoos have been used as evidence to deport people from the US and while there are accusations the designs have been misread, El Salvador’s Security and Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro said he could identify very specific meanings.

“In the past, they had to kill someone, kidnap someone, extort someone to be brought to trial. Now, having tattoos for these organizations is a crime,” García explained.

Evidence of that crime is all around him, in the communal cells where convicted men and those still going through the court process are held.

Cecot was built and opened after Bukele suspended some constitutional rights as he vowed to restore security to El Salvador. Critics say human rights have been forgotten in the mass roundup of men said to be gangsters, with innocents swept up in the dragnet, but the streets are undoubtedly more secure, and many residents say they have new freedom.

The men taken off those streets and put in Cecot — officially named the Terrorism Confinement Center — now stare at visitors from behind bars, meekly obeying orders from armed guards.

Both times we have seen former sworn enemies from MS-13 and 18th Street placed together in cells. In former times, their tattoos would have been enough for a turf war, now they are bunkmates.

“We’re mixed up, and that’s the hardest thing,” Hector Hernandez, a prisoner, told us. “It used to be different, but today the government has taken control.”

His tattoos showed him to be an active member of MS-13, a status he said was still valid, even inside Cecot. He said each design had to be earned, mainly through murder.

“The main thing is to kill and deserve to be a gang member.”

The ink covers some faces, necks, arms and torsos, but García says law enforcement knows there are “very specific” marks that point to gang affiliation and not something innocent.

He had two men remove their prison-issue plain white T-shirts as he explained the new regulations.

“This isn’t a hunt just because a person has tattoos,” he said. “Authorities are searching for members of terrorist organizations who have specific tattoos that identify them with that type of organization.”

Tattoos were used by gangs to commemorate fallen members and issue warnings, officials said.
Evelio Contreras/CNN

An M and an S adorn a prisoner’s chest, said to represent the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, gang.
Evelio Contreras/CNN

The clearest are the letters and numbers from the gang names: MS with 13 in regular or Roman numerals, or 18 for their rivals in the 18th Street gang.

García pointed to the body of a man he said was a clique leader of MS-13 who had been convicted for aggravated homicide.

“He has various tattoos on his body related to MS-13. He is an active member,” García said.

On the man’s back was a large design of Santa Muerte, a female Grim Reaper that became a symbol of the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico before becoming adopted by MS-13.

García said the other man was an assassin for 18th Street. He had X, V, III running down one side of his torso. Both inmates confirmed their associations with various cliques and areas where they operated.

García said some symbols he had seen warned people to see nothing, hear nothing and do nothing against the gangs, while others commemorated dead comrades or other personal connections: “Women they love, women who’ve betrayed them.”

Tattoos honoring Real Madrid and depicting a hummingbird

Once Bukele’s regime started retaking control of the streets and locking up people with tattoos, the gangs stopped requiring inked bodies as proof of loyalty, García said, so law enforcement focused on other ways to identify criminals.

But elsewhere, tattoos are still seen as evidence of guilt.

Authorities in the United States have deported hundreds of Venezuelans accused of being part of the Tren de Aragua gang, as well as Salvadorans alleged to be MS-13, to El Salvador, where they are now being held in Cecot.

Jerce Reyes and his partner Mariyin Araujo in 2018. Reyes’s soccer themed tattoo is visble on his left arm.
Courtesy Jerce Reyes family

“My brother has tattoos because he’s an artist but that doesn’t make him a criminal,” Nelson said.

From gang allegiance to art

Alejandra Angel, a tattooist in the capital San Salvador, explained: “Never in the history of this country would you see a guy with tattoos working in a restaurant or in a Walmart, never.

“After they ‘cleaned up’ the country everything has changed (with) the visibility of tattoos.”

Angel said she had been a little nervous when the ongoing “temporary” state of emergency was first imposed in March 2022. One of her arms is blacked out, she says to cover designs she no longer liked, but it could appear suspicious to police.

Camilo Rodriguez says these days his clients include professionals like doctors and lawyers.
Evelio Contreras/CNN

Tattoos are becoming more common among all kinds of people choosing to show their style, artists said.
Evelio Contreras/CNN

Another artist, Camilo Rodriguez, from a different salon, said he had been questioned twice by police about his tattoos at the beginning of the crackdown. But once he explained their significance he said he was free to go.

They said the gangs used to have their own tattooists or coerced people to ink designs.

But now people are free to choose, the artists said, and are no longer afraid of having something on their arm.

“Tattoos are for everyone,” said Rodriguez, who added his clients now included doctors and lawyers. “It’s a very personal language, and you can do whatever you want with it.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

previous post
Trump calls Sumy missile strike a ‘mistake.’ But Russia’s war seems to be raging on exactly to Putin’s plan
next post
Hertz says 2024 hack exposed some customers’ driver license and credit card data

Related Posts

Jenin mayor likens Israeli military operation to war...

February 4, 2025

Pope Francis makes surprise public appearance after leaving...

April 7, 2025

Pakistan claims it has ‘credible intelligence’ India will...

April 30, 2025

Canada police hunt for three suspects after 12...

March 8, 2025

Indian YouTuber who documented her travel to Pakistan...

May 21, 2025

Kim Jong Un’s fury after watching North Korea’s...

May 22, 2025

Nora Aunor, one of Philippine cinema’s biggest stars,...

April 17, 2025

Baltic states switch to European power grid, ending...

February 10, 2025

‘Ethnic cleansing!’ Videos show Syrian government-aligned forces reveling...

March 17, 2025

‘Mushroom murder’ trial: Defense claims death of lunch...

April 30, 2025

    Join our mailing list to get access to special deals, promotions, and insider information. Your exclusive benefits await! Enjoy personalized recommendations, first dibs on sales, and members-only content that makes you feel like a true VIP. Sign up now and start saving!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Editors’ Picks

    • 1

      First lady Melania Trump’s new official portrait revealed

      January 28, 2025
    • 2

      Health experts prep Dem lawmakers on anti-vaccine arguments ahead of RFK Jr’s confirmation hearings

      January 28, 2025
    • 3

      ECOWAS pledges to ‘keep door open’ after 3 coup-hit West African nations exit regional bloc

      January 30, 2025
    • 4

      Vale Launches Strategic Review of Thompson Nickel Operations Amid Market Challenges

      January 28, 2025
    • 5

      American fighters are dying in Ukraine in growing numbers. Bringing their bodies home is a complex task

      January 30, 2025
    • 6

      Scorched-earth Shanahan: RFK Jr’s former running mate threatens political war against confirmation opponents

      January 30, 2025
    • 7

      Coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef reaches ‘catastrophic’ levels, study finds

      January 23, 2025
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: richpeopletrades.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 richpeopletrades.com | All Rights Reserved