A group of people formed a gang.
They started in a big city. They wanted to protect their friends. Later, they did many bad things. This group is very large now. Do you see how people can change?
A group of people formed a gang.
They started in Los Angeles long ago. They wanted to protect their friends.
Over time, the group changed. They began to do many bad things. This group is now very large. They are in many lands. Some members have tattoos on their skin. They also use hand signs to talk. This group is a big problem for many. People are working hard to stop them.
MS-13 is a large criminal gang. It began in Los Angeles during the 1980s.
At first, Salvadoran immigrants formed it for protection. They wanted to stay safe from other gangs.
Over time, the group changed. It grew into a criminal organization. Many members were sent back to El Salvador after 1992. This helped the gang spread to Central America. Today, it is active in many places. It is in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Most members come from Central America. Many are young people. Some members use tattoos to show they belong. They may have tattoos on their faces or bodies.
They also use hand signs to talk. One common sign looks like devil horns.
The gang is very violent. They often use machetes instead of guns. Because of this, leaders in the U.S. and El Salvador work to stop them. In 2025, the U.S. government named them a terrorist group. This helps the law fight them more strongly.
MS-13 is a large international criminal gang. It is also called Mara Salvatrucha. This group began in Los Angeles, California, during the 1980s.
At first, Salvadoran immigrants formed the group for protection. They wanted to stay safe from other gangs in the city. Over time, the group changed its ways. It grew into a large criminal organization. Today, it is active in many places. It has a presence in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America.
Many members of the gang come from Central America. Most members are Salvadorans or Salvadoran Americans. However, they also include people from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Many members are young people or teenagers. Some arrive in the United States as unaccompanied minors. These are children traveling without their parents. This can make them easy targets for recruitment. Sometimes, the gang forces people to join them. In El Salvador, they may target children on their way to school or work.
Members of the gang often use specific signs to identify themselves. They use a system of hand signs to communicate.
One common sign uses the index fingers to mimic "devil horns." Some members also have tattoos on their bodies or faces. These tattoos might include the letters "MS" or the name "Salvatrucha." By 2007, some members stopped putting tattoos on their faces. They did this to make it easier to hide from the police. The gang also uses small groups called "cliques" to work in different areas.
MS-13 is known for being very violent. They often use machetes, which are large knives, instead of guns. This makes their crimes very brutal. The gang also has a long rivalry with the 18th Street gang. In El Salvador, the gang is very organized with a central structure. This structure is called the Ranfla Nacional.
This group acts like a board of directors for the gang. Because of their violence, many countries are working hard to stop them. In 2025, the United States government officially named them a terrorist organization.
Law enforcement agencies work together to fight the gang. In the United States, the FBI and ICE lead many raids. These raids help arrest hundreds of suspected members. The gang's history is tied to how the United States and El Salvador work together. Many members were sent back to El Salvador after a civil war ended in 1992. This helped the gang spread to new countries. Now, police in many places, including Canada and Spain, watch for gang activity. They want to keep their communities safe from these groups.
Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is a large international criminal gang. It originated in the Los Angeles area of California during the 1980s.
Originally, Salvadoran immigrants formed the group for protection. They wanted to defend themselves from other gangs in Los Angeles. Over time, the group transformed into a traditional criminal organization. It now operates across the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. The gang's history is closely tied to the relationship between the United States and El Salvador.
The name of the gang has several possible origins. Some believe it refers to La Mara, a street in San Salvador. Others link it to the Salvatrucha guerrillas from the Salvadoran Civil War. The word "mara" may come from Caliche slang for a "swarm," like a group of ants. The term "Salvatrucha" might combine "Salvadoran" with "trucha," a slang word for being alert. The number "13" is thought to represent the letter M, which is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet.
It may also pay homage to the Mexican Mafia prison gang.
MS-13 is organized into smaller, loosely affiliated groups called cliques. In the United States, these cliques are often independent and react to local situations. For example, the gang has many cliques in Los Angeles and New York. However, the gang is more centralized in El Salvador. In 2002, high-ranking members established the Ranfla Nacional. This group acts as a "command and control structure" or a board of directors.
This structure directs violent acts and murders in both El Salvador and the United States.
Recruitment into the gang often targets vulnerable young people. Many members are Salvadoran Americans, but the gang also includes people from Honduras and Guatemala. Many members arrive in the United States as unaccompanied minors. These are children traveling without parents. Some school districts have struggled to admit these teenagers, leaving them vulnerable to recruitment. In El Salvador, children may be recruited while walking to school or work. Incarcerated youth are also often pressured to join during their time in prison.
The gang is known for extreme violence and a specific subculture. They often use machetes, which are large knives, as their primary weapon. This differs from many other gangs that prefer using guns.
Members use hand signs to communicate, such as the "devil horns" gesture. Tattoos are also common, featuring names like "MS" or "Salvatrucha." By 2007, many members moved away from facial tattoos to avoid being noticed by police. They sometimes live in abandoned urban buildings known as "destroyers" to hold meetings or drug deals.
MS-13 has a massive global presence with significant numbers. In 2009, estimates suggested there were 30,000 to 50,000 members worldwide. By 2018, the gang had up to 10,000 members in the United States. This accounted for less than 1% of all gang members in the country. In El Salvador, the gang is very large. By 2020, MS-13 and the rival 18th Street gang together employed about 60,000 people. This made them the largest employers in El Salvador. In 2023, Salvadoran police databases recorded over 120,000 gang members and collaborators.
Governments have taken strong legal actions to combat the gang's influence. In El Salvador, the Supreme Court authorized classifying gangs as terrorist organizations. In the United States, the FBI and ICE conduct wide-scale raids to arrest members. On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order regarding transnational gangs. This order began the process of designating MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The designation was officially enacted on February 20, 2025. This change marks a significant shift in how the United States treats the group legally.
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