Sombra Negra
The Sombra Negra (Spanish for "Black Shadow") are death squad groups based in El Salvador comprising mostly police and military personnel who target criminals and gang members for vigilante justice. Recent years have also seen increasing accusations of continuing death squad activity targeting the Salvadoran political opposition and members of the political and social left.[citation needed] These vigilante groups are based in El Salvador and are not under the official jurisdiction of the Salvadoran government, which can be easily confused.
The name first appeared around December 1994 in the Department of San Miguel. In April 1995, the group stated that it had killed 17 people, claiming that the dead were criminals or members of gangs. [1]
Sombra Negra members typically blindfolded and tied the hands and/or thumbs of their victims behind their backs. Later, the victims received bullets to the back of their heads from close-range assault rifles and submachine guns. The Sombra Negra operatives would conceal their faces and use unlicensed vehicles with darkened windows when they carried out their missions. Sombra Negra stated that it killed people because the group believed that the police could not enforce laws of El Salvador. [2]
[edit] Targeting Mara Salvatrucha and 18th Street Gang
Sombra Negra is well known for its specialty in pursuing and executing members of notorious El Salvador-based criminal organizations referred to as "Mara Salvatrucha" (MS-13') [3]. MS-13 members are known for covering their bodies and faces with tattoos. They also target their rivals the 18th Street Gang.
