Mara Salvatrucha AKA MS-13: America Most Violence Gang

Gangs in the United States have grown up to a significant numbers during the past few decades. As of year 2008, there are approximately 1 million gang members belonging to more than 20,000 different gangs nationwide (NGTA, 2009). Out of those 20,000 different gangs, one of them is called Mara Salvatrucha, or also referred to themselves as MS-13.  MS-13 is a group of gang that is formed in the early 1980s in the Pico Area of central Los Angeles. The gang is constructed mainly Salvadoran refugees who immigrant to the United States during the El Salvador Civil War. The group’s purpose for forming this alliance is for protection against other gangs.

The way MS-13 members identify themselves are the same way of what many others gangs are identifying themselves, by creating their own hand signal, graphic graffiti, and wearing color clothing that related to their gang. However, one of the main identification MS -13 members do to represents them and their gang is with tattoos. Tattoos written onto the skins with the word MS-13 or EL Salvadoran across the back, chest, arm, leg, knuckle and forehead are considers a way for the gang to identify themselves as members of the group.

            Since the founding of MS-13 in the 1980s, the group has been one of the fasted growing gang. MS-13 memberships increase rapidly and their activities are spreading quickly across many cities and states throughout America. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Mara Salvatrucha are consider to be America most largest and violence gang in the country. FBI statistic 2008, confirmed that there are currently about forty-two states in the U.S, including the District of Columbia reporting of having MS-13 members operated within their territories (FBI, 2008). This increasing numbers of memberships and spreading in geographic area are becoming a problem for many citizens. Citizen such as Elliott Hoskins, a Durham County Sheriff’s Deputy who used to work for San Diego Sheriff Department moved to North Carolina to get away from community of gangs, only to find himself ended up running into them again (Chitra, Jon, Munkia, 2004). Hoskins story is just one of the many stories that are similar to what others Americans are facing when they try to escape their community full of gangs.

            Although the Mara Salvatrucha is spread highly in its membership  and territories; what makes them the most dangerous gang is the background history of its members. Senior’s members and leaders of the MS-13 gang are formers guerilla soldiers who have been trained and fought the Civil War in El Salvador. These members came to the United States with fighting skills they learned from their military (Johnson, 2009). With many of them being skillful in combat and teaching it to their younger gang members, it will contribute to the increase of violence that the gang already committed. In additions, many young MS-13 members are being train by their senior gang leaders the same way as to what a soldiers are being train in the military. They are taught to use killing tactics such cold murder and dismember of their opponent. With the influence of seniors’ members the young members will be more violent.

According to a FBI Gang Special Agent, Robert G. Saale, “MS-13’s motto is to kill, rape, and be in control of their rivals’ gangs. They want to exert their influences into their community by getting respect from other rival gang members” (Wilber, 2010).  Besides the killing, raping and controlling, the gang also engages themselves in a wide range of highly criminal activity. Activities such as drug distributions, prostitutions, robbery, home invasions, kidnapping, and vandalism are some of the criminal activities that the gangs are well known for committing.

              Therefore, it is no doubt why FBI is considered the Mara Salvatrucha the most violence gang in America. They are highly large in term of demographic living, well trained by former soldiers, and having an attitude to kill rape and control anyone who gets in their way.

 

References:

Chitra, Ragavan, Jon, Elliston, and Monkia, Guttman. (2004, December). Terror on the Street.     U.S News and World Reports Vol. 137 Issue 21, p20-24, 5p, 3 Color Photographs, 1 Graph

 

FBI. (2008, January). The MS-13 Threat: A National Assessment. Federal Bureau of Investigation.           January, 20008. http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/january/ms13_011408

 

Johnson, Stephon. (2009, April). MS-13 Eyeing the Five Boroughs. Amsterdam News Press, April,             2009. http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.csus.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9414af2     e-16a3-4486-90d9-9922ffc12afd%40sessionmgr10&vid=1&hid=14

 

NGTA. (2009, January). National Gang Threat Assessment 2009. National Drug Intelligence         Center. January 2009. http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/index.htm

 

Wilber, Del Quentin. (2010, January). MS-13 Gang out to Kill, Rape and Control: FBI Agent. The Washington Post January 2010. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/gangs/ms-13-gang-out-to-kill-rape-an.html