A woman dubbed the 'Black Widow' has been arrested for leading a gang that recruited women to marry and murder men to claim their life insurance.
Esmeralda Aravel Flores Acosta, 39, was arrested in El Salvador suspected of heading the murderous racket.
"She pretended to be a housewife and told young women that they would marry eligible American bachelors and live in the United States," said the San Salvador police chief.
The men Flores Acosta selected held a steady job and were reasonably well-off, according to Australscope.
"If they didn't already have it, the men were required to take out life insurance," police said, adding: "Then they would get married and live together for two or three weeks before gang members were sent to murder them."