MS-13 Street Gang

Fleeing from a twelve-year civil war in El Salvador, in the early 1980s, Salvadoran refugees and immigrants settled mostly in southern California and soon migrated throughout the United States. While living in America, many of the refugees and immigrants relied on each other for protection from hatred and racial discrimination, so together they formed the Mara Salvatrucha street gang as known as MS-13. Many members of the MS-13 gang were in the military in El Salvador, so they used their fighting skills violently toward others (Barnhart, 2009). Mara Salvatrucha received their name after a street in San Salvador and represents their gang status by wearing blue and white, the colors taken from the national flag of El Salvador (Barnhart, 2009).

Currently there are about 100,000 members, mostly comprised of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, and other Central and South American immigrants; however, they are rapidly expanding to accept many non-Hispanic individuals (FBI, 2008). MS-13 can be found in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York metropolitan areas, and now they can be found in many suburban and rural areas (Swecker, 2005).

MS-13 activity level is dangerous and violent. Their criminal activity includes “drug distribution, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions, immigration offenses, kidnapping, carjacking/auto thefts, and vandalism” (FBI, 2008). In 2004, a bus carrying innocent citizens were attacked by MS-13 gang member and they killed 28 people and seriously injured 14 others (Swecker, 2005). The massacre occurred because of rebellion against the laws targeting gang members in Central America. This shows that MS-13 do not care who they killed. It could be civilians in order to get their message across. According to Shelly Domash, she says that “one of the more unusual aspects of MS-13 when compared to other street gangs is that it is extremely flexible in its activity. While some gangs are only into drugs, MS-13 will do any crime at any time” (2005). For example, it is found that many residents from Mexico would pay gang members to murder border patrol officers in order for them to come to the United States (Carter et al, 2006). MS-13 also engaged in drug trafficking of mostly cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and heroin (Swecker, 2005). Therefore, more and more drugs are coming across the borders and into the hands of Americans.

Currently, the US Department of Homeland Security is collaborating with Central Americans governments and law enforcement agencies to defeat the international problem related to intense poverty and lack of education and opportunity that has cause many Central Americans to become MS-13 as their only survival (18 with a Bullet,1). Also, to specifically combat the MS-13 gang, the FBI has created the MS-13 National Gang Task Force before the gang becomes more organized. Their purpose is to make it easier for local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies to exchange information and identify MS-13 members in their locations (Swecker, 2005).

References:

(2008, January). El Salvador: Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Retrieved October 9, 2009

from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/uncategorized/18-with-a-bullet-el-salvador-mara-salvatrucha-ms-13/2239/

Barnhart, Tracy E. (2009, January). Spread of a Menace. Retrieved October 20, 2009 from http://www.corrections.com/news/article/20497

Carter, Sara A, and Mason Stockstill. (2006, January). Report: MS-13 gang hired

to murder Border Patrol. Retrieved March 1, 2009 from http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3386933

Domash, Shelly Feuer. (2005, February). America’s Most Dangerous Gang-MS13-

Violent, Vicious, and Spreading Fast. Retrieved October 9, 2009 from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1347306/posts

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2008, January). The MS-13 Threat: A National

Assessment. Retrieved October 20, 2009 from http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/ms13_011408.html

Swecker, Chris. (Swecker, 2005). Congressional Testimony: Statement of Chris

Swecker Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division Federal Bureau of Investigation Before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere House International Relations Committee. Retrieved October 12, 2009 from http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress05/swecker042005.htm