Reports point out that since 2019, 75 tons of cigarettes have been seized and destroyed, primarily brands that arrive in Panama and are then distributed to Belize before reaching El Salvador and other Central American countries.

The latest report from the Ministry of Finance stated that 20 tons of the product seized in the country and at border crossings were destroyed in 2025.

From 2019 to 2024 alone, 55 tons were destroyed, equivalent to more than 205,000 packs of cigarettes with an approximate value of $11.7 million, which were not being taxed, according to the Ministry of Finance.

The government’s Anti-Smuggling Plan, in addition to the aforementioned product, covers medicines, timber, and even money that smugglers introduce into the Salvadoran market, evading taxes or without proper registration.

With these state operations, carried out in conjunction with the Security Cabinet, the commitment to combating the structures devoted to smuggling merchandise is reaffirmed, the Attorney General’s Office stated on its official Twitter account.

Smuggling, drug trafficking, and extortion are some of the sources of funding that gangs are still trying to revive. jdt/jav/oda/lb