Guatemala turns over Salvadoran gang leader

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — A Salvadoran gang leader who had escaped to neighboring Guatemala after El Salvador began a crackdown on gangs in March has been returned to his country by Guatemalan authorities. President Nayib Bukele touted the capture via Twitter Friday, writing “here the country is respected.” El Salvador accuses Eduardo Pérez, alias “Scooby”of being part of the leadership of Mara Salvatrucha, and being responsible for ordering a wave of violence on March 26 that resulted in 62 killings. Authorities had sought Pérez even earlier, with an arrest order in place since 2009 for alleged homicides.