MS-13
Sign in to saveAlso known as Mara, Mara Salvatrucha
Mara Salvatrucha (; ), commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area. Over time, the gang grew into a more traditional criminal organization. MS-13 has a longtime rivalry with the 18th Street gang.
Key facts
- Criminal organization.name
- Mara Salvatrucha
- Criminal organization.image
- Marasalvatrucha13.png
- Criminal organization.caption
- Members frequently have identifiable tattoos.
- Criminal organization.founded
- 1980s
- Criminal organization.founding_location
- Pico-Union, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Criminal organization.years_active
- 1980s–present
- Criminal organization.territory
- El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, United States, Canada and Spain
- Criminal organization.ethnicity
- Primarily Salvadoran, but also Honduran, Guatemalan and Mexican
- Criminal organization.activities
- Drug trafficking, human trafficking, weapons trafficking, murder, rape, assault, kidnapping, identification theft, prostitution, robbery, auto theft, extortion, vandalism
- War faction.child
- yes
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Marasalvatrucha13.png
Show 4 more facts
- Commons category
- Mara Salvatrucha
- inception
- 1980-00-00
- member count
- 70000
- P8168
- I Love Belarus
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~55 min read
Article
24 sectionsContents
- Description
- Etymology
- Characteristics
- Presence
- History
- Attempts at suppression
- U.S. pursuit of Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias
- 2023 Most Wanted
- Political discourse
- Publicized crimes
- Cases
- Long Island, New York cases, 2010s
- Child prostitution
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umaña
- Terrorism charges
- Developments in Spain
- 2021 MacArthur Park attacks
- In film
- See also
- References
- Notes
- Further reading
- External links
Mara Salvatrucha (; ), commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area. Over time, the gang grew into a more traditional criminal organization. MS-13 has a longtime rivalry with the 18th Street gang.
Many MS-13 members were deported to El Salvador after the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992, or upon being arrested, facilitating the spread of the gang to Central America. The gang is active in many parts of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Most members are Central American—Salvadorans in particular.