Four of six gang leaders who escaped after being taken from a maximum-security prison to a police station ahead of a court hearing have been recaptured, authorities said Monday.
Two gang members who used the aliases "Sparky" and "The Grandfather" were taken into custody in the morning at a hotel in the department of Morazan, on the border with Honduras, National Police deputy director Howard Cotto said.
Two other escapees, known as "The Spider" and "The Terrible," were captured Sunday in the Honduran department of Valle. Deportation proceedings were underway.
Authorities continued to hunt the remaining two prisoners in the group that escaped Sunday, "Skyper" and "The Goblin."
The prisoners, who face murder and extortion charges, were identified as leaders of a local Mara Salvatrucha street gang cell known as the "Crazy Gaze."
Investigators said they apparently cut the bars on a window at the police station Sunday and escaped into the streets in the eastern city of San Miguel.
Prosecutors have ordered the detention of the police officers responsible for guarding the prisoners and an investigation of police leadership in the city.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.