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Belmopan police are asking the public to be on the lookout for 10 Salvadorian fugitive gang members who escaped a maximum security jail in their country.  Newspapers in Honduras and Guatemala report that the men used a hacksaw to cut themselves out of a jail cell at the San Francisco Gotera penitentiary on Sunday. 50 men were housed in the cell, but only 10 managed to escape from the prison, which is known to house gang members. 

These escapees are reportedly linked to the MS-13 Gang, or Maras Salvatruchas.

Now, Honduras and Guatemala share borders with Salvador so they are on “maximum alertâ€￾, but Belmopan police say Belize should also be on its guard.  And that’s because there are large Salvadorian communities residing in Belize, especially in the greater Belmopan area.  Belmopan police say, quote, “there’s a likelihood they could come to Belize.â€￾ End quote.  The capital cops are asking anyone seeing any of these men to call police. They are considered dangerous. 

The Honduran National Police spokesman said that the fugitives may head for Honduras to, quote, â€œhide from their country's justice system."  He added that El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, have a joint organised crime force, formed by police and military personnel from each country – and that has been activated.