Criminal investigation

More than 250 suspected MS-13 gang members arrested in six-week government crackdown

More than 250 suspected members of the dangerous international MS-13 gang were arrested in a six-month crackdown by the U.S. government. 

'Operation Raging Bull' was carried out in two parts. The first phase started in September and resulted in the arrests of 53 suspected MS-13 members in El Salvador, where most of its members come from. 

The second phase took place between October 8 and November 11, in the U.S., during which an additional 214 suspected gang members were arrested, the Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday. 

MS-13, which is short for Mara Salvatrucha, was originally set up in Los Angeles in the 1980s to protect Salvadorean immigrants in the city. But it quickly spread to metro areas across the country and delved into the criminal underworld - engaging in drug trafficking, child prostitution, human smuggling and racketing, among other things.