The U.S. State Department has taken action against corruption in Central America by imposing sanctions on two former Salvadoran presidents, Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sánchez Cerén, along with numerous other officials and judges. The sanctions target individuals involved in undermining democratic processes, significant corruption, or obstructing corruption investigations in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Funes, who served as president from 2009 to 2014, was recently sentenced to prison for negotiating with gangs and tax evasion. Sánchez Cerén, his successor, is sanctioned for money laundering during his vice presidency. The list of sanctioned individuals also includes bank executives, judges, and high-ranking officials, highlighting the widespread nature of corruption in the region. This corruption fuels public distrust and is considered a major driver of migration to the United States, an issue the Biden administration is working to address. The issue of corruption is prominent in Guatemala's current election cycle and is frequently discussed by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. Notably, Bukele was not included in the sanctions list despite accusations of negotiating with gangs and concerns about his impact on El Salvador's democracy.