The Third Court against Organized Crime of Santa Ana sentenced Walter Neftalí Osorto, Hilda del Carmen Olivares, and Jaime Elenilson Ramírez Silva to eight years in prison for the crime of human trafficking. The judicial decision was made following the presentation of compelling evidence and the appeal by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) of El Salvador.
According to the information released by the FGR website, the dismantled structure operated mainly in the western part of the country. Osorto, considered the ringleader, coordinated the operations and negotiated the terms of the transfer of people.
Olivares served as a liaison, seeking people interested in migrating to the United States and offering them the network’s services. For his part, Ramírez Silva was tasked with housing and guiding the victims, taking advantage of his residence in the vicinity of an unauthorized border crossing.
Osorto led the criminal structure, while Olivares identified potential migrants and Ramírez Silva sheltered and guided the victims near unauthorized crossings.
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A travel offer to the United States ended with the deportation of minors in Mexico
The Prosecutor’s Office investigation details that in September 2020, Olivares contacted a mother and offered to transport her children to the U.S. for a total amount of USD 8,000. After negotiating and receiving payment, those involved organized the transfer of the minors, who managed to cross the Salvadoran border and reach Mexico. However, Mexican immigration authorities intercepted the minors and proceeded with their deportation, preventing them from reaching U.S. territory.
Despite this, the case is not isolated. According to the FGR, those convicted were part of a broader network of 54 people who had already been prosecuted for the same crime. In the initial trial, Osorto, Olivares, and Ramírez Silva were acquitted. However, following the appeal filed by the prosecutor’s office, a retrial was ordered, which allowed for an exhaustive review of the evidence.
During the public hearing, the court evaluated the testimonies, documents, and evidence presented by the Attorney General’s Office. The convicted individuals are part of a larger network of 54 people, previously prosecuted for the same crime of illicit human trafficking. (Illustrative Image Infobae)
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The ruling orders the capture of Walter Neftalí Osorto, who did not appear at the hearing. Meanwhile, Hilda del Carmen Olivares and Jaime Elenilson Ramírez Silva were notified in prison. The FGR indicated that this type of conviction seeks to strengthen the fight against human trafficking networks, a crime that especially affects vulnerable communities in the western region of El Salvador.
The FGR concluded that it will continue coordinating actions with national and international authorities to guarantee the protection of victims and the bringing to justice of those responsible for these types of crimes.
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“The defendants were part of a 54-person structure that had already been prosecuted for the crime of human trafficking, but at the time, all three were acquitted; however, the Prosecutor’s Office appealed, and a new trial was ordered for the defendants. In this new public hearing, the Third Court against Organized Crime of Santa Ana evaluated all the evidence presented by the FGR and imposed the aforementioned sentence,” stated the Prosecutor’s Office.
