Citation

Etter GWS. J. Gang Res. 2010; 17(2): 1-17.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, National Gang Crime Research Center)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the history, organizational structure, and membership profile of the Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) gang.
Abstract: Rising form humble beginnings as a street gang formed by Salvadorian immigrants in the Rampart District of Los Angeles, CA in the 1980s, the Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) has expanded across the United States and developed into a transnational gang that has been exported to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. The MS-13 is involved in numerous criminal enterprises including trafficking in drugs, guns, and humans. With a liking for violence, they have been called the "most dangerous gang" in America.