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MS gang member with gang's name tattooed in the back.

Mara Salvatrucha refers to large gangs involved in criminal activities in Central America and the United States. The gang names are commonly abbreviated as MS^[1], Mara, or MS-13, and are composed mostly of Salvadorians, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and other Central Americans. The Mara Salvatrucha gangs have cliques, or factions, located throughout the United States and Latin America. The gang has moved from beyond its Salvadoran and American origins and now can be found in other nations, including Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Spain, England and Germany, according to international press on criminal activity. Membership in the U.S.A. are about 10,000 believed to have a total over 100,000 worldwide.^[2] MS criminal activities include drug smuggling and sales, black market gun sales, human trafficking, assassinations for hire, theft, and assaults on law enforcement officials.^[3] Their activities have caught the eye of the FBI, who in September 2005 initiated wide-scale raids against suspected gang members, netting 660 arrests across the country.^[4] In the United States, the gang's strongholds have historically been in Washington, D.C., Miami, and Southern California and the far flung exurbs of Northern Virginia.

Former gang member Brenda Paz has said that MS is well structured, with multiple leaders, and that the gang's goal is to become the top gang in the United States.^[4]

The Mara Salvatrucha gang originated in Los Angeles.^[5] There is some dispute about the exact etymology (see Etymology). The most common belief is that the word "Mara" refers to the Spanish word for "Posse", and "Salvatrucha" (which is Spanish slang) for "Salvadoran". The gang was set up in Los Angeles in 1980's by Salvadoran immigrants in the Pico-Union section.^[6]

Their main purpose was to protect themselves from other, more established gangs of Los Angeles, who were predominately comprised of Mexicans or Mexican-Americans. The "devil's head" hand signal, which forms an M when displayed upside down, is similar to the same symbol common in hard rock.^{[citation needed]} The founders copied this symbol they saw on their visits to rock concerts. The gang initially allowed only Salvadorans to join, but later allowed other Hispanics to join as well. 50 percent of its people are white.^{[citation needed]}.

Many Mara Salvatrucha gang members from the Los Angeles area have been deported either because of their illegal status in the United States, or for committing crimes as non-citizens, or both. As a result of these deportations, members of MS have recruited more members in their home countries. The Los Angeles Times contends that deportation policies have contributed to the size and influence of the gang both in the United States and in Central America. El Salvadoran authorities report that approximately 60% of prison inmates serving time for gang-related crimes there have either fled prosecution or been deported from the United States.^[7]

On July 23, 2003, Brenda Paz, a 17-year old young woman, was found murdered on the banks of the Shenandoah River in Virginia. Brenda Paz was killed for "snitching" or telling the police about how Mara Salvatrucha was running and getting her ex-boyfriend arrested for murdering a teen who he thought was in a gang. Four of her friends were later convicted of the murder.^[8]

On December 23, 2004, one of the most widely publicized MS-13 crimes in Central America happened in Chamelecón, Honduras. An intercity bus was intercepted and sprayed with automatic gunfire, killing 28 passengers most of whom were women and children. ^[9] Those convicted were MS gangleaders and in February 2007 the courts found Juan Carlos Miralda Bueso and Darwin Alexis Ramírez guilty of several crimes including murder and attempted murder. Ebert Anibal Rivera was held over the attack and was arrested in Texas after having fled ^[10]. While another, also accused of masterminding the attack, Juan Bautista Jimenez, was killed in prison. According to the authorities he was hanged by fellow MS-13 inmates.

On May 13, 2006, Ernesto "Smokey" Miranda was murdered at his home in El Salvador, a few hours after declining to attend a party for a gang member who had just been released from prison. He had begun studying law and working to keep kids out of gangs.^[11]

According to The Washington Times, MS-13 "is thought to have established a major smuggling center" in Mexico.^[12] There were reports that MS-13 members were ordered to Arizona to target border guards and Minuteman Project volunteers.^[13][14].

In 2005, Honduran Security Minister Oscar Alvarez and the President of El Salvador raised alarm by claiming that Al-Qaeda was meeting with MS-13 and other Central American gangs to help them infiltrate the United States. FBI agent Robert Clifford said that the U.S. intelligence community and governments of several Central American countries found there is no basis to believe that MS-13 is connected to Al-Qaeda or other Islamic radicals although he did visit Central America to discuss the issue.^[15]

There are various possible explanations for the name Mara Salvatrucha. Some sources state the gang is named for La Mara, a street in San Salvador, and the Salvatrucha guerrillas who fought in El Salvador's bloody civil war ^[16]. Additionally, the word mara means gang in Caliche and is taken from marabunta, the name of a fierce type of ant. "Salvatrucha" is a portmanteau of Salvadoran and trucha, a Caliche word for being alert, usually entailing preparedness for crime or abuse from police. Mara Salvatrucha is also commonly translated as Salvadoran Army Ant.

Recruitment varies but the usual recruitment is for a group of current gang members to assault the inductee for 13 seconds. After that they must go into an enemy gang territory and kill a gang member. It has been reported that gang members recruit from their workplaces. MS-13 members have brought co-workers from their jobs to gang meetings. ^[17]

An MS-13 suspect bearing gang tattoos is handcuffed. In 2004, the FBI created the MS-13 National Gang Task Force. A year later, the FBI helped create National Gang Intelligence Center.

Many Mara Salvatrucha members often cover themselves in tattoos. Common markings include "MS", "13", "Salvadorian Pride" the "Devil Horns" and the name of their clique.^[18] A December 2007 CNN internet news article stated that the gang was moving away from the tattoos in an attempt to commit crimes without being noticed. ^[19]

• List of California street gangs

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/102906dntexMS13.2e3e193.html

• MS-13 Current News and Analysis
• "18 with a Bullet" Wide Angle PBS
• "How the Street Gangs Took Central America" May/June 2005 Foreign Affairs
• "For Salvadoran gangs, jail is a revolving door" March 1, 2005 The Christian Science Monitor
• "Gangs, Terrorists, and Trade" April 12, 2007 in Foreign Policy In Focus
• "World's Most Dangerous Gang" A National Geographic Television production on Google Video
• [5] National Geographic post-investigation essay.
• August 19, 2007 New York Times spotlight on MS-13 gang
• http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/12/16/gang.makeovers.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview