David Munguía Payés

David Victoriano Munguía Payés is a former Salvadoran Army general who served as Minister of National Defense of El Salvador from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2019.

Biography

David Victoriano Munguía Payés was the Director of the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School from 1996 to 1997.

He was appointed as Minister of National Defense of El Salvador on 1 June 2009 by President Mauricio Funes. He served until 23 November 2011 and replaced by Atilio Benítez, but he was reinstated to the position on 12 July 2013.

Munguía Payés was arrested on 23 July 2020 for allegedly negotiating a truce with the prominent gangs Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 18th Street gang (Barrio 18) during his term. A judge later ordered him to be placed under house arrest. In October 2020, eight properties worth 1.4 million dollars were confiscated from Munguía Payés by the Salvadoran government due to tax investigations indicating that they may have been attained through illegal activities.

His criminal trial began on 26 April 2023. On 29 May 2023, he was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment (8 years for illicit association, 6 years for failure to perform his duties, and 4 years for committing arbitrary actions). On 17 June 2023, the office of the attorney general began proceedings to charge Munguía for alleged the money laundering and illicit enrichment of US$1,147,650 during Funes' presidency. On 24 August 2023, the office of the attorney general ordered Munguía Payés to pay US$462,732.81 to the state.