The founder and longtime leader of the violent Central American gang Barrio 18, Carlos Mojica, has died in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The feared boss, known as "El Viejo Lin" or Old Man Lin, passed away from liver complications, the government announced on Thursday.
Background and Criminal Career
Mojica had been incarcerated since 2003 and was convicted of ordering dozens of murders, facing a slew of accusations for other crimes. He was deported from the United States to El Salvador in the 1990s and had been part of emerging gang cells that began identifying themselves as Barrio 18 in the States.
Continued Operations from Prison
According to authorities, Mojica continued to lead the gang and order crimes from prison. By using notes known as "wilas" and prison visits, he still pulled the strings, ordering purges of prisons and massacres on the outside. He ruled with an iron fist, ordering systematic extortion that suffocated small business owners and truck drivers in territories controlled by Barrio 18. Control of those territories was consolidated through murder; those who did not pay either died or disappeared.
Health and Death
Clinical reports released by the General Directorate of Prisons suggest Mojica suffered from liver cirrhosis, hepatorenal syndrome, and suspected glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor. He was diagnosed with kidney and liver problems in 2024.
Role in Truce and Decline of Gang
Mojica was instrumental in facilitating a 2012 truce between his gang and major rival MS-13 during the presidency of the late Mauricio Funes. The agreement led to a dramatic drop in El Salvador's homicide rate, from 14 to an average of five per day. Since Nayib Bukele became president in 2019, his administration's crime crackdowns and state of emergency declarations have significantly weakened the influence of Barrio 18, which had previously split into two factions: the Sureños and the Revolucionarios.
