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Some sources state the gang is named for La Mara, a street in [[San Salvador]], and the Salvatrucha guerrillas who fought in the [[Salvadoran Civil War]].<ref>Domash, Shelly Feuer. [http://www.apfn.org/APFN/MS-13.HTM "America's Most Dangerous Gang."] apfn.org.</ref> Additionally, the word ''mara'' means gang in [[Caliche slang|Caliche]] and is taken from ''marabunta'', the name of a fierce type of ant. "Salvatrucha" may be a combination of the words ''Salvadoran'' and ''trucha'', a Caliche word for being alert.
Some sources state the gang is named for La Mara, a street in [[San Salvador]], and the Salvatrucha guerrillas who fought in the [[Salvadoran Civil War]].<ref>Domash, Shelly Feuer. [http://www.apfn.org/APFN/MS-13.HTM "America's Most Dangerous Gang."] apfn.org.</ref> Additionally, the word ''mara'' means gang in [[Caliche slang|Caliche]] and is taken from ''marabunta'', the name of a fierce type of ant. "Salvatrucha" may be a combination of the words ''Salvadoran'' and ''trucha'', a Caliche word for being alert.


===Mara Salvatrucha 13 in El Salvador and Central America===
<ref>[http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/profiles/ms13/]</ref>
Members of the MS 13 that were illegal immigrants were often caught and deported to El Salvador. It was there that they were recieved and jailed in the main prison of [[Quetzaltepeque|Quezaltepeque, La Libertad]] in northern El Salvador . Eventually, as they did in the United States, they took over the prison and began running it, as is common in other Latin American countries. Those released from prison often returned to their hometowns and were admired by local youngsters who few opportunities and little to no direction, asking to be initiated. Initiations consist of surviving a 13 second beating by fellow gang members. Being close to the border with Honduras and Guatemala, MS 13 subdivisions formed there as well. The Honduran gangs were the most violent and held more political motives for their violence, targeting politicians and their families, and innocent victims. Such violent outbursts, led Honduran and Guatemalan lawmakers to pass legistion making an associate of a gang illegal. El Salvador passed it's own law in 2004, which resulted in 12 year prison sentences, regardless if crimes were commited by an individual. Tattoos were seen as enough evidence, as tattoos are socially looked down upon in Salvadoran society. MS 13 extended its influence into [[Chiapas, Mexico]], which caused the Mexican goverment to initiate a crackdown on suspected members. Their rivals are MS 18, another Salvadoran gang, with the similar origins in Los Angeles, also consisting of deportees and the Sombra Negra (Black Shade) vigilante death squads, whose intent is to target and purge suspected gang memebers from society. Several deportees often return to the United States, due to the strict crackdowns from authorities and economic woes.
==Publicized crimes==
==Publicized crimes==
On July 13, 2003, Brenda Paz, a 17-year-old female, former MS member turned informant was found stabbed on the banks of the [[Shenandoah River]] in [[Virginia]]. Paz was killed for informing the FBI about Mara Salvatrucha criminal activities. Two of her former friends were later convicted of the murder.<ref name="potomacnews-brendapaz">Frieden, Terry. [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/17/ms13.trial.verdicts/index.html "Two convicted, two acquitted in suburban Virginia street gang trial".] ''CNN'. March 17, 2005.</ref>
On July 13, 2003, Brenda Paz, a 17-year-old female, former MS member turned informant was found stabbed on the banks of the [[Shenandoah River]] in [[Virginia]]. Paz was killed for informing the FBI about Mara Salvatrucha criminal activities. Two of her former friends were later convicted of the murder.<ref name="potomacnews-brendapaz">Frieden, Terry. [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/17/ms13.trial.verdicts/index.html "Two convicted, two acquitted in suburban Virginia street gang trial".] ''CNN'. March 17, 2005.</ref>

Revision as of 09:35, 21 December 2010

Mara Salvatrucha
Mara Salvatrucha gang member with gang's name tattooed on his back
Years active1980 - present
TerritoryNorth America,
Central America,
EthnicityLatino
Membership70,000 [2]
Criminal activitiesDrug trafficking, robbery, Larceny, extortion, human trafficking, illegal immigration, money laundering, murder, pandering, racketeering, assault, kidnapping and arms trafficking.
AlliesSinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, Mexican Mafia
RivalsBeltrán-Leyva Cartel, Juarez Cartel, Los Negros, Los Zetas, Sombra Negra, Tijuana Cartel, 18th Street gang

Mara Salvatrucha (commonly abbreviated as MS, Mara, and MS-13) is a transnational criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles and has spread to other parts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America.[1] The majority of the gang is ethnically composed of Central Americans and active in urban and suburban areas.

Members of MS distinguish themselves by tattoos covering the body and also often the face as well as the use of an own sign language. They are notorious for their use of violence and a subcultural moral code that predominantly consists of merciless revenge and cruel retributions. This excessive cruelty of the distinguished members of the "Maras" or "Mareros" earned them a path to be recruited by the Sinaloa Cartel battling against Los Zetas in an ongoing drug war south of the United States border.[2][3][4] Their wide-ranging activities and elevated status has even caught the eye of the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who recently initiated wide-scale raids against known and suspected gang members netting hundreds of arrests across the country.

History

The Mara Salvatrucha gang originated in Los Angeles, set up in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants in the city's Pico-Union neighborhood who immigrated to the United States after the Central American civil wars of the 1980s.[5][6]

Originally, the gang's main purpose was to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other, more established gangs of Los Angeles, who were predominantly composed of Mexicans and African-Americans.[7]

Many Mara Salvatrucha gang members from the Los Angeles area have been deported after being arrested.[8] 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.[8] According to the 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment, "The gang is estimated to have 30,000 to 50,000 members and associate members worldwide, 8,000 to 10,000 of whom reside in the United States" [3].

In recent years the gang has expanded into the Washington, D.C. area, in particular the areas of Langley Park and Takoma Park near the Washington border have become centers of MS gang activity.[9]

Sinaloa Cartel hierarchy in early 2008

Etymology

There is some dispute about the etymology of the name.

Some sources state the gang is named for La Mara, a street in San Salvador, and the Salvatrucha guerrillas who fought in the Salvadoran Civil War.[10] Additionally, the word mara means gang in Caliche and is taken from marabunta, the name of a fierce type of ant. "Salvatrucha" may be a combination of the words Salvadoran and trucha, a Caliche word for being alert.

Mara Salvatrucha 13 in El Salvador and Central America

[11] Members of the MS 13 that were illegal immigrants were often caught and deported to El Salvador. It was there that they were recieved and jailed in the main prison of Quezaltepeque, La Libertad in northern El Salvador . Eventually, as they did in the United States, they took over the prison and began running it, as is common in other Latin American countries. Those released from prison often returned to their hometowns and were admired by local youngsters who few opportunities and little to no direction, asking to be initiated. Initiations consist of surviving a 13 second beating by fellow gang members. Being close to the border with Honduras and Guatemala, MS 13 subdivisions formed there as well. The Honduran gangs were the most violent and held more political motives for their violence, targeting politicians and their families, and innocent victims. Such violent outbursts, led Honduran and Guatemalan lawmakers to pass legistion making an associate of a gang illegal. El Salvador passed it's own law in 2004, which resulted in 12 year prison sentences, regardless if crimes were commited by an individual. Tattoos were seen as enough evidence, as tattoos are socially looked down upon in Salvadoran society. MS 13 extended its influence into Chiapas, Mexico, which caused the Mexican goverment to initiate a crackdown on suspected members. Their rivals are MS 18, another Salvadoran gang, with the similar origins in Los Angeles, also consisting of deportees and the Sombra Negra (Black Shade) vigilante death squads, whose intent is to target and purge suspected gang memebers from society. Several deportees often return to the United States, due to the strict crackdowns from authorities and economic woes.

Publicized crimes

On July 13, 2003, Brenda Paz, a 17-year-old female, former MS member turned informant was found stabbed on the banks of the Shenandoah River in Virginia. Paz was killed for informing the FBI about Mara Salvatrucha criminal activities. Two of her former friends were later convicted of the murder.[12]

In 2004, the FBI created the MS National Gang Task Force. In 2005, the FBI helped create a National Gang Information Center and outlined a National Gang Strategy for Congress.[13]

On December 23, 2004, one of the most widely publicized MS crimes in Central America occurred in Chamelecón, Honduras when an intercity bus was intercepted and sprayed with automatic gunfire, killing 28 civilian passengers, most of whom were women and children.[14] MS organized the massacre as a protest against the Honduran government for proposing a restoration of the death penalty in Honduras. Six gunmen raked the bus with gunfire. As passengers screamed and ducked, another gunman climbed aboard and methodically executed passengers.[15] In February 2007, Juan Carlos Miranda Bueso and Darwin Alexis Ramírez were found guilty of several crimes including murder and attempted murder. Ebert Anibal Rivera was held over the attack and was arrested after having fled to Texas.[16] Juan Bautista Jimenez, accused of masterminding the massacre, was killed in prison. According to the authorities, fellow MS-13 inmates hanged him.[17] There was insufficient evidence to convict Óscar Fernando Mendoza and Wilson Geovany Gómez.[16]

An MS suspect bearing gang tattoos is handcuffed.

On May 13, 2006, Ernesto "Smokey" Miranda, an ex-high ranking soldier and one of the founders of Mara Salvatrucha, 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 children out of gangs.[18]

On June 4, 2008, in Toronto, Ontario, police executed 22 search warrants, made 17 arrests and laid 63 charges following a five-month investigation.[19]

On June 22, 2008, in San Francisco, California, a 21-year old MS gang member, Edwin Ramos, shot and killed a father, Anthony Bologna, 48, and his two sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, after their car briefly blocked Ramos from completing a left turn down a narrow street as they were returning home from a family barbecue.[20]

On November 26, 2008, Jonathan Retana was convicted of the murder of Miguel Angel Deras, which the authorities linked to an MS initiation.[21]

In 2008, the MS task force coordinated a series of arrests and crackdowns in the U.S. and Central America that involved more than 6,000 police officers in five countries. Seventy-three suspects were arrested in the U.S.; in all, more than 650 were taken into custody.[22]

In February 2009, authorities in Colorado and California arrested 20 members of MS and seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.3 kilograms (5 pounds) of cocaine, a small amount of heroin, 12 firearms and $3,300 in cash.[23]

In June 2009, Edwin Ortiz, Jose Gomez Amaya and Alexander Aguilar were MS gang members from Long Island who had mistaken bystanders for rival gang members. As a result, two innocent civilians were shot. Edgar Villalobos, a laborer was killed.[24]

On November 4, 2009, El Salvadoran leaders of the MS-13 gang allegedly put out a contract on the federal agent responsible for a crackdown on its New York factions, the Daily News has learned. The brazen plot to assassinate the unidentified Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was revealed in an arrest warrant for reputed gang member Walter (Duke) Torres. Torres tipped authorities to the plan after he and four other MS-13 members were stopped by NYPD detectives for hassling passersby on Northern Blvd. in Queens last month. He told cops he had information to pass on, and was debriefed Oct. 22 at Rikers Island, where he was being held on a warrant issued in Virginia, according to court papers.Torres said "the order for the murder came from gang leadership in El Salvador," ICE agent Sean Sweeney wrote in an affidavit for a new warrant charging Torres with conspiracy. Torres, who belonged to an MS-13 "clique" in Virginia, said he was put in charge, and traveled to New York in August "for the specific purpose of participating in the planning and execution of the murder plot," Sweeney wrote. Gang members were trying to get their hands on a high-powered assault rifle, like an M-16 to penetrate the agent's bulletproof vest. Another MS-13 informant told authorities the agent was marked for death because the gang was "exceedingly angry" at him for arresting many members in the past three years, the affidavit states. The murder was supposed to be carried out by the Flushing clique, according to the informant. Federal prosecutors have indicted numerous MS-13 gang members on racketeering, extortion, prostitution, kidnapping, illegal immigration, money laundering, murder, people smuggling, arms trafficking, human trafficking and drug trafficking charges. The targeted special agent was the lead federal investigator on many of the federal cases.[4]

In July 27, 2010, CHARLOTTE, NC—Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. today formally imposed the federal death penalty sentence on Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umana, aka “Wizard,” announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins of the Western District of North Carolina. A 12-person federal jury in Charlotte voted unanimously on April 28, 2010 to impose the death penalty against Umana after having convicted him on April 19, 2010 on charges related to the murders of Ruben Garcia Salinas and his brother, Manuel Garcia Salinas, on December 8, 2007. Umana is the first MS-13 member in the country to receive the death penalty. Umana, 25, of Charlotte, was convicted by the jury on all charged counts, including conspiracy to participate in racketeering; two counts of murder in aid of the racketeering enterprise known as MS-13; two counts of murder resulting from the use of a gun in a violent crime; possession of a firearm by an illegal alien; one count of extortion; and two criminal counts associated with witness tampering or intimidation. During the sentencing phase, the jury also found that Umana was responsible for other murders. Specifically, the jury found that on July 27, 2005, Umana killed Jose Herrera and Gustavo Porras in Los Angeles, and on September 28, 2005, Umana participated and aided and abetted the killing of Andy Abarca in Los Angeles. Umana was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 23, 2008. Witnesses testified at his trial that Umana was a veteran member of MS-13 who came illegally to Charlotte to assist in reorganizing the Charlotte MS-13 cell. Witnesses also testified that on December 8, 2007, while in the Las Jarochitas, a family-run restaurant in Greensboro, Umana shot Ruben Garcia Salinas fatally in the chest and Manuel Garcia Salinas in the head. Witnesses testified that the shootings took place after the Garcia Salinas brothers had “disrespected” Umana’s gang signs by calling them “fake.” Firing three more shots in the restaurant, according to trial testimony, Umana injured another individual with his gunfire. Trial testimony and evidence showed that Umana later fled back to Charlotte with MS-13 assistance. Umana was arrested five days later in possession of the murder weapon. Additional evidence and testimony from the trial revealed that while Umana was incarcerated while awaiting trial, he coordinated attempts to kill witnesses and informants. During trial, Umana attempted to bring a knife with him to the courtroom, which was discovered by U.S. Marshals prior to Umana being transported to the courthouse.[5]

Illegal immigration and human smuggling

According to The Washington Times, MS "is thought to have established a major smuggling center" in Mexico.[25] There were reports by the Minuteman Project that MS members were ordered to Arizona to target U.S. Border Patrol agents and Minuteman Project volunteers.[26][27]

In 2005, Honduran Security Minister Oscar Alvarez and the President of El Salvador raised alarm by claiming that Muslim terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda was meeting with Mara Salvatrucha and other Central American gangs to help them infiltrate the United States. FBI agents said that the U.S. intelligence community and governments of several Central American countries found there is no basis to believe that MS is connected to Al-Qaeda or other Islamic radicals, although Oscar did visit Central America to discuss the issue.[28]

Robert Morales, a prosecutor for Guatemala, indicated to The Globe and Mail that some Central American gang members seek refugee status in Canada. Superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police integrated gang task force, John Robin, said in an interview that "I think [gang members] have a feeling that police here won't treat them in the harsh manner they get down there."[29] Robin noted that Canadian authorities "want to avoid ending up like the U.S., which is dealing with the problem of Central American gangsters on a much bigger scale".[29]

On the southern border of Mexico, the gang has unleashed violence against migrants.[30]

Gang markings and hand signs

An MS gang sign and tattoos.

Many Mara Salvatrucha members cover themselves in tattoos. Common markings include "MS", "Salvatrucha", the "Devil Horns", the name of their clique, and other symbols.[31] 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.[32]

Members of Mara Salvatrucha, like members of most modern American gangs, utilize a system of hand signs for purposes of identification and communication. One of the most commonly displayed is the "devil's head" which forms an 'M' when displayed upside down. This hand sign is similar to the same symbol commonly seen displayed by heavy metal musicians and their fans. Founders of Mara Salvatrucha borrowed the hand sign after attending concerts of heavy metal bands.[33]

In film

  • Principal characters of the feature movie Sin Nombre (2009) are members of MS in Chiapas, Mexico and many of the traditions and practices of MS are depicted accurately (killings, tattoos, initiation, exploitation of migrants, etc).

References

Citations

  1. ^ http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_23489.aspx
  2. ^ " Mexico: can the war on drugs be won?"
  3. ^ " Always on guard in Nuevo Laredo "
  4. ^ " The OAS identifies two violent gangs in Leon."
  5. ^ "The International Reach of the Mara Salvatrucha." NPR.org.
  6. ^ "Gangs, Terrorists, and Trade". Foreign Policy In Focus. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
  7. ^ Sheridan, Mary Beth. "In N.Va. Gang, A Brutal Sense Of Belonging." The Washington Post. June 27, 2004.
  8. ^ a b Lopez, Robert J. (October 30, 2004). "Gang Uses Deportation to its Advantage to Flourish in the U.S." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Gangs in Maryland
  10. ^ Domash, Shelly Feuer. "America's Most Dangerous Gang." apfn.org.
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ Frieden, Terry. "Two convicted, two acquitted in suburban Virginia street gang trial". CNN'. March 17, 2005.
  13. ^ "About Mara Salvatrucha MS-13". source. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
  14. ^ "Gang linked to Honduras massacre." BBC. December 24, 2004.
  15. ^ Kraul, Chris; Lopez, Robert J.; Connell, Rich (May 22, 2005). "MS-13 blamed for massacre on bus". The Seattle Times.
  16. ^ a b "Honduras massacre 'leader' held." BBC. February 24, 2005.
  17. ^ "Countries at the Crossroads 2007." freedomhouse.org.
  18. ^ del Barco, Mandalit. "Gang Leader Shot to Death on Road to Reform." NPR News. May 16, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  19. ^ "Central American gang was plotting murder in Toronto, police say." CBC. June 5, 2008.
  20. ^ Derbeken, Jaxon Van."Widow pleads for death penalty." San Francisco Chronicle. June 27, 2008.
  21. ^ Sharon Coolidge. "Man, 18, gets life in prison for murder". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  22. ^ "community portal about Mara Salvatrucha". source. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
  23. ^ "20 alleged Hispanic gang members indicted in Colorado - CNN.com". CNN. February 24, 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  24. ^ http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/three-suffolk-victims-linked-by-ongoing-gang-violence-1.1327241
  25. ^ "Al Qaeda seeks tie to local gangs." Washington Times. September 28, 2004.
  26. ^ "Gang will target Minuteman vigil on Mexico border." Washington Times. March 28, 2005.
  27. ^ Carter, Sara A. and Mason Stockstill. "Report: MS gang hired to murder Border Patrol." DailyBulletin.com. January 9, 2006.
  28. ^ Harman, Danna. "U.S. steps up battle against Salvadoran gang MS." USA Today. February 23, 2005.
  29. ^ a b Mason, Gary (2008-01-07). "Canada is a haven to gangsters on the run". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  30. ^ "El Tren de la Muerte". Dallas Observer. July 26, 2007.
  31. ^ Werner, Zach. "FBI Targets MS Street Gang." NewsHour Extra. October 5, 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-11.
  32. ^ ""Tattooed faces a dead giveaway: Gangs go for new look." CNN. December 16, 2007.
  33. ^ National Geographic. "Gang Uses Deportation to its Advantage to Flourish in the U.S." National Geographic. Retrieved 2008-09-10.

Further reading

  • Samuel Logan This Is for the Mara Salvatrucha - Inside the MS-13, America's Most Violent Gang, 2009
  • Tom Diaz No Boundaries: Transnational Latino Gangs and American Law Enforcement, Ann Arbor, M.I.: University of Michigan Press, 2009.
  • Ana Arana, “How the Street Gangs Took Central America,” Foreign Affairs, May/June 2005.
  • Federico Brevé The Maras: A Menace to the Americas, Military Review, July-August 2007.
  • UNODC, May 2007; Washington Office on Latin America and the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) Transnational Youth Gangs in Central America, Mexico and the United States, March 2007.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mara Salvatrucha.
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