Weapons trafficking

MS-13 - The gang that scares other gangs

They’re known as MS-13, MS, Mara or Mara Salvatrucha, but by any name, they’re trouble.

MS-13 is a Central American gang founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants. While still heavily represented in California, they have spread across the nation—into at least 42 states and Washington, D.C.-- and beyond, especially into Central America.

It’s estimated there are more than 10,000 members in the U.S., and over 30,000 worldwide.

Many gang members can be recognized by elaborate tattoos and special hand signals they use, but it’s their criminal activities and tremendous violence that have got the attention of the FBI and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). They are known for using machetes to hack some of their victims.