Central American Leader Warns of Occult Gang Activity at Capital Event

El Salvador’s president reportedly addressed a religious gathering in the nation’s capital Thursday, making striking claims about the spiritual practices of criminal organizations that have allegedly spread beyond his country’s borders.

Speaking at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, the Central American leader told assembled lawmakers and business figures that violent gang members in his country have a documented history of what he described as Satan worship, according to his remarks from the legislative complex.

“Many people don’t know that our enemy was not just the flesh and blood, but spiritual as well,” the leader said, as reported by local media. “The gangs didn’t just murder, rape, extort. They also worship Satan.”

The president claimed that security forces discovered what he characterized as altars used for occult rituals during raids on gang members’ residences. “This is well documented. We put up the pictures, the videos right away,” he reportedly stated, while criticizing international media coverage of these alleged findings.

Observers note that such claims about ritualistic practices among criminal organizations are not uncommon in the region, though verification of specific incidents often proves challenging. The leader warned the assembled officials that “some of those gangs are here in the nation,” referring to criminal elements that have reportedly crossed borders.

The Central American president has previously made similar assertions about discovering alleged occult materials during security operations targeting MS-13-linked organizations, according to government statements.

The leader, who has cultivated ties with the current head of state, reportedly struck an agreement with the country’s government to accept hundreds of Venezuelan gang members who were residing illegally within national borders. These individuals are to be housed in what sources describe as a high-security detention facility known for strict conditions.

According to official statements, crime rates have reportedly declined significantly in El Salvador following intensified law enforcement campaigns against organized criminal groups.

“El Salvador was the murder capital of the world,” the president said Thursday, as quoted in local reports. “And now it’s the safest country in the whole continent.”

The current head of state also addressed the religious gathering, reflecting on what he characterized as the administration’s commitment to protecting religious freedoms. The leader referenced the nation’s founding principles, stating that citizens’ rights come “not by government, but by God Almighty himself,” according to reported remarks.

Critics and human rights organizations have previously raised concerns about the methods employed in El Salvador’s security campaigns, though the government maintains that such measures have been necessary to address what it describes as an unprecedented security crisis that had plagued the Central American nation for years.