Mara Salvatrucha

Mara Salvatrucha is a street gang composed primarily of Salvadorians, Guatemalans,and Hondurans. The gang is active primarily in Latin America and the United States. Established in the 1980s in Los Angeles, Mara Salvatrucha is now believed to have in excess of 10,000 members in the United States alone.

Fast Facts:

1. AKA: MS, Mara, MS-13
2. Originated in Los Angeles, California
3. Rooted from Salvadorian refugees who settled in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles
4. Expanding to Canada, Spain, England, and Germany
5. Involved in drug trafficking, gun trafficking, human trafficking, and contract killing
6. FBI estimates that the gang has infiltrated nearly 42 U.S. states
7. Mara means gang Caliche

Key Dates

• 1980: Civil War in El Salvador, thousands of refugees flee to the United States. MS-13 faction starts in urban Los Angeles.
• 1992: Salvadoran civil war ends, the U.S. government starts to deport gang members back to El Salvador.
• 2002: Brenda Paz testifies against the MS-13 gang.
• 2003: Paz if found dead in Virginia.

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