Sombra Negra

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Sombra Negra (Spanish for "Black Shadow") is a vigilante group comprised mostly of police and military personnel who target criminals and gang members for vigilante justice. The volunteer group was based in El Salvador and was not under the official jurisdiction of the Salvadoran government. The Salvadoran government officially denied all sponsorship and involvement in the activities of Sombra Negra. This vigilante group was most active during the 1990's, involved violent execution against members of the "Maras" (gangs).

According to Sombra Negra themselves, they were organized to punish crime and to deliver immediate "vigilante justice" to criminal elements without having to go through the regular processes of law. The rationale behind this "self-appointed executioner of justice" mindset is that the civil judicial system is either limited or incapable of dealing with such criminal elements.

References

[U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services article about death squads that includes info on the Black Shadow]

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