VZCZCXYZ0020
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #1029 2412134
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 282134Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0010
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 001029 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ES KCRM PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: PRISON REFORM AND GANG INTELLIGENCE 
INITIATIVE MOVES FORWARD 
 
 ¶1. (U) Summary:  El Salvador hosted the first Regional 
"Gangs in Prison" Conference in San Salvador, August 18-20. 
The conference, which drew attendees from El Salvador, 
Honduras, and Guatemala, established a dialogue on management 
of prison gangs in Central America.  Following the 
conference, New Mexico State corrections officials assisted 
El Salvador in establishing an action plan for implementing 
an inter-agency prison gang task force that will collect 
intelligence on El Salvador's prison gangs and their 
operations. The conference and reforms at Izalco prison 
established a baseline for effective anti-gang best practices 
and information sharing networks throughout the region.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) August 18-20, the Government of El Salvador (GOES) 
hosted the first Regional Gangs in Prison Conference in San 
Salvador.  The conference was the result of a cooperative 
effort between the GOES Central Prison System (DGCP) and INL 
San Salvador. High level corrections officials from El 
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, the state of New Mexico, the 
Central American Integration System (SICA), the National 
Civilian Police of El Salvador (PNC), and INL officers from 
El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras participated.  The INL 
CIV/POL Senior Corrections Advisor and the INL Regional Gang 
Advisor delivered the keynote presentations during the 
conference. 
 
¶3. (U) In his opening remarks, Minster of Public Security 
Rene Figueroa emphasized the importance of curbing 
transnational criminal gang activity in the prison systems 
throughout the region.  In addition, Ambassador Vilchez of 
the Central American Regional Integration System (SICA), INL 
Regional Gang Advisor (RGA), INL Senior Corrections Advisor 
(SCA), and prison authorities of El Salvador, Guatemala, and 
Honduras made presentations on the subjects of regional 
cooperation, best practices, and challenges to improving 
management of gangs in prisons. 
 
¶4. (U)  The second day of the conference consisted of a site 
visit to the Izalco prison where approximately 700 M-18 gang 
members are incarcerated.  Izalco is considered a model 
facility for managing gangs in prisons in El Salvador.  It 
has received extensive training and financial support from 
INL and CIV/POL.  It has also benefited substantially from 
the letter of agreement established between INL and New 
Mexico Department of Corrections. 
 
¶5. (U) The third and final day of the conference was a 
wrap-up of the major themes of regional cooperation, and the 
importance of integrity and sustainability in future 
initiatives.  The conference produced a written declaration 
stipulating that transnational gang activity in prisons is a 
serious regional threat which requires regional solutions; 
efforts will continue to improve methods of sharing 
intelligence on a regional level; and future such conferences 
will be beneficial. 
 
¶6. (U) On August 21-22 officials from the New Mexico State 
Department of Corrections conducted prison site surveys. With 
their Salvadoran counterparts, they developed an action plan 
for implementing an inter-agency prison gang intelligence 
task force. Salvadorans from the agencies involved had 
previously received INL sponsored prison intelligence unit 
training at the New Mexico Department of Corrections July 
7-11, 2008. 
 
¶7. (U) The implementation of the prison gang intelligence 
task force aims to improve the collection and dissemination 
of actionable intelligence in an effort to curtail organized 
crime activities from within and outside the prison systems. 
It is common, for example, for imprisoned gang leaders to 
continue to order and direct criminal activities from their 
prison cells.  Police often confiscate mobile phones, but new 
phones find their way back into the gangsters hands. 
 
¶8. (U) Comment:  The conference is an excellent example of 
significant incremental progress achieved through 
coordination between Washington-based subject matter experts, 
INL practitioners in the field, and representatives from 
Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. INL/CIVPOL's corrections 
programs have allowed Embassy San Salvador to focus 
resources, expertise, and capacity on one of the most 
pressing problems facing this country -- transnational gang 
violence radiating out of El Salvador's overcrowded, 
overburdened prison system.  End Comment. 
GLAZER