A 31-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for aggravated homicide under reforms that took effect earlier this year.
El Salvador has handed down its first life sentence, with a court in San Salvador sentencing a 31-year-old man to life imprisonment for aggravated homicide under reforms introduced earlier this year.
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The Third Criminal Court of San Salvador, based in Santa Tecla, sentenced Carlos Arturo Herrera Castro for the killing of Alexis López Córdova.
The crime took place on May 18 in the Teosinte canton of the Arcatao district, in northern Chalatenango, according to El Salvador’s judicial authorities. Investigators determined that Herrera had been drinking alcohol before getting into an argument with López. He then struck the victim in the head and face with stones, causing fatal injuries, before taking the cash he was carrying.
During the proceedings, the Attorney General’s Office established Herrera’s responsibility for the killing. Witnesses testified that they saw him next to the victim’s body counting the money he had taken. They also told the court that he offered them $10 each to keep silent about the crime.
#ÚltimaHora | La @FGR_SV logra la primera condena de prisión perpetua en la historia del país.
Carlos Arturo Herrera Castro fue sentenciado a cadena perpetua por homicidio agravado y robo contra Alexis López Córdova.
El día del crimen, el imputado atacó a la víctima con piedras… pic.twitter.com/tdPmo4yOUm
— Fiscalía General de la República El Salvador (@FGR_SV) September 11, 2026
Text Reads: The @FGR_SV secures the first life imprisonment sentence in the country’s history. Carlos Arturo Herrera Castro was sentenced to life imprisonment for aggravated homicide and robbery against Alexis López Córdova. On the day of the crime, the defendant attacked the victim with stones until he took his life in order to steal his money. This incident occurred in May 2026 in the Teosinte canton, Arcatao, Chalatenango Sur. The sentence was issued by the Third Criminal Court of San Salvador. This conviction was achieved thanks to the reform to Article 27 of the Constitution and secondary penal laws in effect since April 2026.
The sentence was issued under criminal-law reforms adopted in April that introduced life imprisonment for crimes deemed exceptionally serious. The penalty can be applied to convictions for homicide, rape and terrorism.
The reforms became fully operational on May 14, when the Criminal Courts were officially authorized to hear such cases. Because the killing occurred four days later, the new provisions applied to Herrera’s case, judicial authorities said.
The Attorney General’s Office described the ruling as the first life sentence in the country’s history.
Before the reforms, the maximum prison sentence in El Salvador was 60 years, with mechanisms for reducing prison terms. President Nayib Bukele later secured legislation extending life imprisonment to minors convicted of murder, rape or terrorism.
The case is one of 18 proceedings reported by judicial authorities since the reforms took effect involving offenses that could carry a life sentence. On Sept. 10, a Criminal Court in Santa Ana ordered formal proceedings and pretrial detention for a 42-year-old man accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy.
The changes came as Bukele’s government continues its crackdown on criminal gangs under a state of exception. The campaign has led to about 92,000 arrests and reduced crime to historic lows, according to the authorities.
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