Central America
FGR explained the process by which the Salvadoran State has been defrauded by more than $2 million
The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) reported that they had arrested five people for defrauding the Salvadoran state by more than $2 million. According to the investigations, two former Ministers of Defense made it easier for Centrum S.A. de C.V. to acquire weapons, some of which were in good condition, and to hand over old weapons in exchange.
The FGR accused former Ministers of Defense David Munguía Payés and Atilio Benítez; former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Rafael Melara Rivera; Coronel Manuel de Jesús Romero; Centrum’s legal representative Gustavo López Davidson; and Centrum’s manager, Héctor Abel Herrera Mejía. Of the six, five were arrested last Friday afternoon.
According to the authorities, it all started in 2011. The Ministry of Defense, led by David Munguía Payés, requested a review of obsolete weapons to make an auction-type swap. The FGR states that when the process was announced, six companies attended; but in five of them, Héctor Abel Herrera appeared as the legal representative.
Afterwards, Herrera remained as the representative of Centrum. The rest of the companies appointed new representatives, who were employees of Centrum. In the end, the swap was awarded to Eagle Ordnance LLC and Centrum. Herrera subsequently notified the Ministry of Defense that Eagle would not continue in the process and that Centrum would take over the swap.
According to the FGR, General Rafael Melara, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, warned that a new process should be called, but the warning was omitted.
Central America
Guatemala Court Voids List of Candidates for Top Prosecutor Position
Constitutional Court of Guatemala on Thursday annulled the shortlist of six candidates for attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ordering authorities to repeat the evaluation phase of the selection process.
The ruling came in response to a legal appeal filed by Raúl Amílcar Falla Ovalle, who challenged the way professional experience had been assessed for some applicants, particularly those with careers in the judiciary.
As a result of the decision, the selection process has been suspended, and the Postulation Commission must return to the stage in which the original 48 applicants were evaluated.
According to the ruling, the commission must reapply the grading criteria without automatically counting years served as judges as equivalent to the professional experience required for the position.
“The Postulation Commission for the election of the Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is ordered to reassess the applicants by strictly applying the approved grading table,” the resolution states.
The Constitutional Court also stressed that the process must guarantee merit, competence, and suitability, while ensuring greater transparency in the assignment of scores.
Central America
U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme
The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.
Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.
Central America
Bukele administration surpasses 1,100 homicide-free days amid ongoing crackdown
On Saturday, April 18, the Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) reported that no homicides were recorded in El Salvador, bringing the total to 17 days without murders.
With this update, the country has accumulated 91 homicide-free days so far in 2026. January closed with 27 such days, followed by 24 in February and 23 in March, according to police data.
During the administration of President Nayib Bukele, a total of 1,193 days without homicides have been registered. Of those, 1,079 have occurred since the implementation of the state of exception.
This extraordinary security measure has been extended 49 times by the Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador, with the latest extension in effect from April 1 to April 30, 2026. Under the measure, more than 91,700 gang members and collaborators have been detained and prosecuted for illicit association.
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