Fat Max arrested in El Salvador
On Tuesday, Salvadoran authorities arrested Maximiliano Gonzalez, a TV and radio personality, in connection with an alleged child prostitution ring. "El Gordo Max," or "Fat Max," directs the program "Domingo Para T2." He and three others arrested are connected to an August 2014 bust of a prostitution ring that allegedly sold minors to broadcasters and business people. So far, Gonzalez and the other three men arrested yesterday "only" appear to have been customers.
AG Melendez also appears to be interested in seeing if his office and the previous AG had done things by the books. Gonzalez was tied to the sex ring in 2015 but was instead treated as a witness in the case It's another positive development that Melendez is investigating possible wrongdoing by the previous AG staff.
Finally, from this article alone, it's an important reminder that not all arrests are gang-related murders and extortion or the result of drug trafficking. While many crimes are committed by the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs and others, there has been a strong belief that people in power have unfairly blamed the gangs for all criminal activities in El Salvador in order to distract public attention from organized crime that they may or may not be involved in.
Prosecutors say youths from 13 to 17 years old were led to believe they were getting work in modeling and advertising, but instead they were sold for sex, anywhere from $50 to as much as $300 if they were virgins.
Prosecutors say Gonzalez had cooperated with the administration of the previous chief prosecutor and received preferential treatment as a cooperating witness. They allege that in exchange, the clients of the ring were not investigated and only those who trafficked the minors were prosecuted.
Chief Prosecutor Douglas Melendez ordered the prosecution of Gonzalez and an internal investigation of the institution's handling of the case.While these are only customers, it is positive to see the Attorney General's Office follow-up on a case that could simply have gone away following the 2014 arrests. Gonzalez is a high-profile individual meaning that it wouldn't have been surprising if the charges against him somehow disappeared.
AG Melendez also appears to be interested in seeing if his office and the previous AG had done things by the books. Gonzalez was tied to the sex ring in 2015 but was instead treated as a witness in the case It's another positive development that Melendez is investigating possible wrongdoing by the previous AG staff.
Finally, from this article alone, it's an important reminder that not all arrests are gang-related murders and extortion or the result of drug trafficking. While many crimes are committed by the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs and others, there has been a strong belief that people in power have unfairly blamed the gangs for all criminal activities in El Salvador in order to distract public attention from organized crime that they may or may not be involved in.
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