Mara Salvatrucha
Mara Salvatrucha
HISTORY
This gang began in El Salvador as a result of a civil war killing thousands of people.
Refugees fled to the United States and some had connections to La Mara,
a street gang in El Salvador.
Some of the immigrants had once belonged to groups such as the
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front and were trained as guerilla fighters.
These Salvadoran guerrillas were known as "Salvatruchas."
As a result of prejudice of Hispanic gangs, they formed the Mara Salvatrucha (MS) gang.
They quickly achieved recognition for their violence and sophistication.
IDENTIFICATION
The gang, commonly referred to as MS-13, enforces an extensive hierarchy.
Each local gang is divided into "cliques," which are further divided into smaller groups.
Members range from 12-year-olds to adults.
MS now includes members from Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
Common identifiers include number "13," and also Sureno, a Spanish word meaning Southerner.
Other marks include "M" or MS," or "Salvadorian Pride.
Members often make the hand sign of the letter "M."
TERRITORY
The gang is active in Central America, the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Since its inception in California and Washington, DC, Mara Salvatrucha
members continues to plague many American cities.
Many MS members continue to have close connections with El Salvador.
ACTIVITY
Mara Salvatrucha gang members are known to be involved in all aspects of criminal activity.
Because of their ties to their former homeland, they have access to
ophisticated military weapons thus making firearms trafficking
one of their main criminal enterprises.
Other law enforcement agencies have reported MS members were exporting
stolen cars to South America.
As with nearly all street gangs, the MS is also involved in drug sales,
murder and other common gang crimes.
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