Mara Salvatrucha

Categories: Modern street gangs | El Salvador

Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13 or M-18 or MS, are various Central American terrorist organizations that are also active in the United States. The gang originated among Salvadorean emigrants living in Los Angeles, California but it has since spread to other parts of North America. It emerged in the 1980s during El Salvador's violent civil war and is estimated as of 2005 to have 50,000 members in Central America and between 8,000 and 10,000 members in the U.S. [1].

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Beginnings

The United States' support of El Salvador's oligarchy and their death squads (trained by the United States) is what forcibly displaced the Salvadorean "campesinos" in the late 1980s. Many of these forcibly displaced peoples settled in Los Angeles and other parts of California. Finding themselves in the poorest neighborhoods and without jobs, they formed MS-13 to protect themselves. They soon became involved in drug trafficking as well as committing murders.

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Geographical presence

Although founded among immigrants in the United States, Mara Salvatrucha now has a large presence in El Salvador. Much of this is due to the U.S. policy of deporting convicted criminals back to their country of origin. Back in El Salvador, these deportees have recruited more members, including new members who immigrate illegally to the United States. [2]

The age of a Mara Salvatrucha member can range from 11 to 50. The gangs have moved from beyond their Salvadoran and Los Angeles origins and can be found in now Honduras, Guatemala, Canada, Mexico, and over 30 U.S. states, especially around Washington, DC in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Some sets have even been founded in Spain, Italy, even Belgium; it has been said it even has an alliance with La Cosa Nostra. Many Mara Salvatrucha members are former members of death squads set up by the Salvadoran government and the United States government in the 1970s and 1980s. Members of these groups have training in firearms, explosives and booby traps. There is no centralization or hierarchy among the gang from different regions, although a 2004 report by the U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center says chapters of Mara Salvatrucha in different areas may be trying to set up a coordination network. In 2005, police in the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., noticed an increase in the presence of the gang, including incidents of gang-related stabbings and other violence.

When it first began in the U.S., Mara Salvatrucha only allowed Salvadorans as members but today the gang now includes members from other Latin American countries. Mara Salvatrucha also has some non-Latino black members. Members are strongly encouraged to have tattoos to express their alligence to Mara Salvatrucha. Those who join are expected to remain members for life, and anyone who leaves the gang is placed under sentence of death.

Edit: The word "Mara" is used in El Salvador to mean "rebellious". "Salva" is short for Salvadoran. "Trucha" in spanish is slang for "Listo" which means "Ready" or "Alert".

The number 13 was adopted by the Mara Salvatruchas only in the Los Angeles area, because this zone is controlled by the Mexican Mafia, or "13". The Mara Salvatruchas in Northern California adopted the number 14 (MS-14). When the civil war in El Salvador ended, the Los Angeles zone began deporting Salvadoran criminals. This is why MS-13 is abundant in El Salvador, whereas MS-14 presence is not as big.

The word mara refers to group or crowd. Salvatrucha means a person who is salvadoran, so Marasalvatrucha means salvadoran crowd. The Marasalvatrucha began to form in the Pico-Union barrios of Los Angeles; particularly between Pico on the south and Wilshire on the north.--Fedora st, Catalina, and Berendo crossings. The members were mostly salvadoran and were known as stoners. They wore long hair and heavy metal attire. They spoke little English and were not liked by Mexican gangs, also stoners such as Mid City, Dead End, although Dead End was a street football bunch before forming a Harpys clique. The 18th street gang did not see MS as a threat because they considered stoners as no threat and because Ms and 18th st had a few things in common. First there was the language. Most 18th street members also did not speak English well. Second, most 18th street members in the Pico-Union area were from Central America. From 1987 to 1991 there was a dramatic change in the stoner crowds. They became street gangs and so their attire turned from heavy metal to cholo, and so they became visible targets to other gangs.

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Gang markings

MS-13 members have tattoos on most of their upper body, including the arms and face, with lettering done in Gothic (Blackletter) style. The "MS" and "13" is always tattooed on them. Other tattoo marks include the letters "SUR" for sureño or "southerner", and pentagrams. Typical attire of members is blue and white pro sport jerseys, often with the number "13", (blue and white are national colors of El Salvador), bandanas,

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Rumored ties with Al-Qaeda

Law enforcement throughout the US has begun to crack down hard on MS-13 after it was rumored that members of the international Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda (القاعدة) have been in secret talks with members of MS-13 in Honduras and in Washington DC.

However, after thorough investigation, the FBI has found no evidence that any links between al-Qaeda and MS-13 exist. Due to the serious nature of these rumors, the FBI has made several statements attempting to set the record straight.

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Sworn enemies and other threats

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External links

1,2889642.story?coll=la-commun-los_angeles_metro&ctrack=1&cset=true Gang Sweeps Result in 103 Arrests] story by Rich Connell and Robert J. Lopez (Los Angeles Times).

cle%2FCDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784553462&path=!news Kilgore sticks to al-Qaida claims] story by Bob Gibson about false rumors of MS-13/al-Qaeda connection.

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Notes

es:Mara Salvatrucha