Cell mate. The man above is just 22 years old and already has dozens of murders under his belt. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 11.06.2015: A cell inmate in the district of Soyapango where police just conducted a night raid. Alleged gang members are put into the barltolina, an overcrowded temporary cell at police headquarters. Cells that should house 40 inmates end up housing double that. All inmates are awaiting conviction and most complain of being held for up to 2 years without trail. © Patrick Tombola
Police on patrol. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.21: A 911 response team patrols the streets of the capital. The "halcones" respond first to crimes involving armed people, homicides and other serious crimes. The first five months of 2015 has witnessed a rapid increased in the number of police deaths at the hands of pandillas or gangs. © Patrick Tombola
Frustration. HERRADURA, EL SALVADOR, 2015.03.18: Forensic anthropologist Ticas Israel on an illegal burial site on the Salvadorian coast. Despite the testimony of a gangster under witness protection, the forensic team took days to find the remains of the murdered victims. © Patrick Tombola
Arms at an illegal burial site. LOURDES, EL SALVADOR, 2015.06.01: Two arms of a dismembered body found in a "destroyer" house, which is discovered in Lourdes, a city west of San Salvador. Ticas Israel dug out the dismembered body of a young male, killed the previous night. Police had been warned of suspicious movement in the villa and caught two members. This led to the discovery of ten illegal graves. © Patrick Tombola
Policeman funeral. HERRADURA, EL SALVADOR, 2015.03.16: Parents and the wife of a murdered police officer mourn his death at his funeral. Murders of police officers are now at an all-time high, since the truce between gangs broke. Despite the "Mano Dura" program that sets harsher sentences and more police repression of gang members, violence has only increased. © Patrick Tombola
MS 13 alleged member arrested. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.06.11: An alleged member of Mara Salvatrucha gang arrested in the district of Soyapango after police conducted a night raid in search of Mara Salvatrucha members. Cells that should house 40 inmates end up housing double that. All inmates in the bartolinas are awaiting conviction and most complain of being held for up to 2 years without trail. © Patrick Tombola
Policeman on patrol. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.21: A 911 response team patrols the streets of the capital. The "halcones" respond first to crimes involving armed people, homicides and other serious crimes. The first five months of 2015 has witnessed a rapid increased in the number of police deaths at the hands of pandillas or gangs. © Patrick Tombola
Youth at Comicon. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.30: Young people meet at the Comicon meeting in San Salvador. Here, thousands meet to dress like their favourite hero and buy comic paraphernalia. © Patrick Tombola
Youth at the stadium. SAN SALVADOR, 2015.05.06: FAS football fans at the Stadium of Cucatlan in San Salvador, hosting the football game between FAS and ALIANCIA. This is one of the only places in the country where young people can express themselves without fear of gang reprisal (though violence between team supporters does occasionally occur). © Patrick Tombola
SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.06.03: Transsexual prostitutes in downtown San Salvador © Patrick Tombola
SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.22: Neighbors laugh and relax during another police raid. © Patrick Tombola
A corner of peace. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.09: Children and parents relax in a small hand-made park in the town of Panchimalco, just outside the capital El Salvador. The town is well known for its strong indigenous culture and until recently it attracted large numbers of tourists. Today, gangs extort the local population and fight between each other for control of the once valuable territory. © Patrick Tombola
Lovers. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.03.18: Lovers and friends watch sunset at one of San Salvador's most well known lookouts, overlooking some of the capital's most dangerous neighborhoods. © Patrick Tombola
Weeping grandmother. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.06.11: In the district of Soyapango, police conduct a night raid in search of Mara Salvatrucha members © Patrick Tombola
Murder scene. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.21: The body of a man murdered during peak hour traffic in one of the capital's busiest intersections. © Patrick Tombola
Crime scene. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.06.01: Ten illegal graves at a "destroyer" house is discovered in Lourdes, a city west of San Salvador. The abandoned villa was used by gang members to store weapons, drugs and torture, kill and bury victims. © Patrick Tombola
Torture room. LOURDES, EL SALVADOR, 2015.06.01: The rope used to torture victims found in a "destroyer" house which is discovered in Lourdes. © Patrick Tombola
Human remains of a murder victim. USULUTAN, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.09: An anthropological forensic team, along with policemen and police investigators, dig up the body of a 25-year old man from an illegal burial site. © Patrick Tombola
Young girl murdered. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.18: A 5-year old girl is washed by a morgue attendant. She was killed the previous night—along with her mother—in her sleep by a member of a gang opposite to that of her father. The surge in homicides is partly due to a breakdown in the truce between rival gangs. This has made El Salvador the most murderous country in the world (outside of war). © Patrick Tombola
Policeman on informant protection duty. HERRADURA, EL SALVADOR, 2015.03.12: A special force police officer monitors the situation while protecting a police informant. © Patrick Tombola
Family grieving. LA LIBERTAD, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.28: The family of a man murdered a few days prior waits for the detectives and forensic team to finish digging him up in La Libertad. The first five months of 2015 has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of police deaths at the hands of pandillas or gangs. © Patrick Tombola
Family during exhumation. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.05.21: The parents of a murdered victim stand near where his remains were exhumed. The exhumation of a desaparecido takes place at the only mass grave (fossa comun) in the capital. The mass grave has seen a rapid increase in the number of desaparecido buried for violent deaths in the past decade, bringing the number to around 4,000 bodies between 2001-2015. © Patrick Tombola
Dog at a crime scene. SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR, 2015.06.05: A dog walks across the street where employees of Medicina Legal retrieve the bodies of people murdered that day. © Patrick Tombola
A view of San Salvador at night. © Patrick Tombola