MS-13 is a gang that originated in Los Angeles and later spread to Central America and parts of the United States and Canada. The gang names are known as Mara, MS, or MS-13, gang members are mostly composed of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatamalans, and Nicaraguans. MS-13's criminal activities include drug smuggling and sales, black market gun sales, human trafficking, auto thefts, home invasions, assaults on law enforcement officials, and contract killings.
The Mara Salvatrucha gang originated in Los Angeles and was set up by Salvadoran immigrants in the 1980's. The gang's main purpose was to originally protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs of Los Angeles who were predominantely Mexican and African-American. At first only Salvadorans were allowed to join but other Central Americans were allowed to join later on.
Many gang members have been deported because of their illigal status in the United States, committing crimes as non-citizens, or for both. These deportations have only helped increase the size of the gang because MS-13 members are recruiting more members in their home countries. Salvadoran authorities claim that more than 60 percent of prison inmates serving prison terms for gang-related crimes there have either fled prosecution or were deported from the United States. MS-13 is constantly spreading to different parts of the U.S., especially large cities such as Washington DC.
MS-13 is regarded as the largest gang in the world and the most dangerous. To be a part of the gang you must be "jumped in". Gang members many tattoos, common markings are "MS", "Salvatrucha", "Devil Horns", and names of their cliques. Like most gangs, MS-13 uses various hand symbols, most common would have to be the devil's head almost the same as the symbol used by heavy metal musicians. MS-13 is constantly growing.
-Aaron Rios
I find it interesting that the gangs that have been blogged thus far were started by immigrants in order to protect the people, but resulted in violence. I also find it intsresting that the gangs that have been researched so far, to get into the gang, the person wanting to join the gang must undergo a beating.
ReplyDeleteA while ago I was taking the public transportation and saw a tag of MS-13 on the back of the chair that was in front of me. To know that a gang of which started in California, has reached New Jersey is pretty shocking. What is shocking the most is that sixty percent of the inmates in El Salvador are gang related, that being more that than half of the inmates are incarcerated for a gang related crime.
-Steph Rivera
Where are the citations? Most of this is not in the area of common knowledge. Also, grammar does count. Your wording is confusing and awkward in the last two postings.
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