Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13 or "MS" or M-18, are street gangs from El Salvador that emerged in the 1980s during that country's violent civil war.

Beginnings

This war prompted many families there to move to the United States in the late 1980s. Many Salvadoran refugees migrated to Los Angeles and other parts of California. Finding they were not readily accepted by other Hispanics in the area, and especially Mexicans they formed MS-13 to protect themselves. They soon became involved in drug and weapons trafficking as well as committing some horrific rapes and murders.

Name

The word Mara comes from the Spanish word Marabunta, which is a type of ant. This word then evolved to mean posse in El Salvador, where salvatrucha was a description of a tough young man. The origins of the numbers "13" and "18" are not certain, though the letter "M" is the thirteenth letter of alphabet, and because of it's superstitious and religious associations 13 is frequently used letter in names of Southern California Latino gangs. The number "13" and "18" are also used symbolically in the gang's rites of passage where new recruits are given a savage 13 or 18 second beating. The M18 have a reputation for doing their killings on the 18th day of the month.

Geographical presence

The age of an Mara Salvatrucha member can range from 11 to 50. The gangs have moved from beyond their El Salvadoran and Los Angeles origins and can be found in now Honduras, Guatemala, Canada Mexico and 33 United States of America states including California (besides Los Angeles), Washington DC, Oregon, Alaska, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Rhode Island. Many Mara Salvatrucha members are former guerrilla fighters from the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front paramilitary group (FMLN). Members of this group 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 National Drug Intelligence Center says chapters of Mara Salvatrucha in different areas may be trying to set up a coordination network.

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 countries. Mara Salvatrucha has some 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. Many law enforcement officers where these gangs are to be found consider them to be the most dangerous of the street gangs.

Gang markings

MS-13 members have tattoos on most of their upper body, including the arms and face, with lettering done in Gothic 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, and Nike sneakers.

Suspected ties with Al-Qaida

Law enforcement throughout the USA has begun to crackdown hard on MS-13 after it was rumored that members of the international Islamist terrorist group Al Qaida (القاعدة) has been in secret talks with members of MS-13 in Honduras and in Washington DC.

Sworn enemies

One group sworn to eradicate MS is the Sombra Negra ("Black Shadow") death squad. Sombra Negra is a extra judicial vigilante group made up of police and soldiers in El Salvador. Sombra Negra hunts down and executes all types of criminals including MS-13 members.

Ernesto Miranda, a.k.a. Smokey, who is a co-founder of the MS in Los Angeles left the gang and is helping children to stay out of gangs. [1]

In March 2005, the United States government announced a crackdown on MS-13. 103 individuals were arrested in seven cities.

External links

• The International Reach of the Mara Salvatrucha story by Mandalit del Barco (National Public Radio).
• Combatting El Salvador's gangs story by Claire Marshall (BBC).
• Youths flock to massive El Salvadorean gang... story by Jeremy McDermott (The Scottsman Online).
• Gang Sweeps Result in 103 Arrests story by Rich Connell and Robert J. Lopez (Los Angeles Times).
• Mara Salvatrucha: A South American Import assessment by the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations (NAGIA).
• Gang will target Minuteman vigil on Mexico border
• La venganza de los marginados story featured in El Progreso (article in [[Spanish language|Spanish).
• Archive of gang graffiti pics in a Northern Virginia neighborhood