| Since the early nineties, criminal gang
| |
| | their prison terms.In many cases, young
|
| networks operating across the border
| |
| | men who were arrested for assault, drug
|
| between the United States and Central
| |
| | dealing, or other relatively low-level
|
| America have exploded in power and
| |
| | profit-making criminal activity entered
|
| number. The gangs take advantage of
| |
| | the prison system. U.S. immigration
|
| loopholes in international immigration
| |
| | authorities then identified them as not
|
| and deportation policies to spread their
| |
| | having proper documentation and tagged
|
| influence through extreme violence.The
| |
| | them for deportation.Many of these young
|
| Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, has become
| |
| | men came to the United States as children
|
| one of the "Most Wanted" of these gangs.
| |
| | in the 1980s with their parents to flee
|
| What began as a loosely-connected group
| |
| | the civil wars in Central America. They
|
| of Salvadoran immigrant youth banded
| |
| | do not have strong familial connections
|
| together for protection in the
| |
| | in Central America, and in some cases do
|
| join-or-die gang culture of Los Angeles
| |
| | not even speak Spanish well. Often their
|
| has now grown into a transnational
| |
| | "return" to their homeland is like
|
| criminal hydra involved in murder,
| |
| | arriving alone in a foreign country.The
|
| extortion, and some gun and drug
| |
| | growing problem of the MS-13 in Central
|
| smuggling.U.S. deportation policies
| |
| | America highlights inadequate immigration
|
| aggressively send undocumented gang
| |
| | controls and poor deportation policies.
|
| members back to their home countries in
| |
| | To effectively tackle the problem
|
| Central America. They export U.S. gang
| |
| | requires binational efforts that combine
|
| culture and hardened criminals to
| |
| | immigration reform, changes in
|
| countries whose internal security forces
| |
| | deportation policies, as well as domestic
|
| are ill-equipped to deal with the new
| |
| | security measures. It also requires U.S.
|
| threat. The street gangs have rapidly
| |
| | policies to effectively handle the
|
| grown beyond being just a neighborhood
| |
| | realities of immigration as well as
|
| problem to presenting a real national
| |
| | manage foreign nationals, both legal and
|
| security threat in these
| |
| | undocumented, living in the United
|
| countries.Criminal deportees bring
| |
| | States.In fiscal year 1997, the INS
|
| tactics, organization, and other criminal
| |
| | deported 111,794 illegal foreigners. Over
|
| skills learned in U.S. prisons. These
| |
| | half had been convicted of a crime in the
|
| abilities translate into more
| |
| | United States. It was the first time the
|
| sophisticated networks that have created
| |
| | INS had deported over 100,000 illegal
|
| a web that spans across Honduras, El
| |
| | residents in one year."In that process
|
| Salvador, and Guatemala. Over time this
| |
| | [the United States] has managed to export
|
| network has made some links with
| |
| | U.S. gang-style culture, customs, and
|
| organized crime, acting at times like
| |
| | contacts," said Geoff Thale, a Senior
|
| foot soldiers to help with smuggling,
| |
| | Associate for Central America at the
|
| assassination, and other duties.Street
| |
| | Washington Office on Latin America.Gang
|
| gangs remain distinct from organized
| |
| | members that are sent back to their home
|
| crime. But they have become a leading
| |
| | countries bring with them more
|
| cause of insecurity in Central America.
| |
| | sophisticated methods, organizational
|
| The region's history with clandestine
| |
| | strategies, and contacts in the United
|
| death squads, drug and gun smuggling,
| |
| | States-all facilitating a more aggressive
|
| corruption, and violence during the
| |
| | and organized criminal enterprise. These
|
| U.S.-supported "dirty wars" provided a
| |
| | factors combine to create a loosely-tied
|
| propitious culture for the gangs'
| |
| | network of street gangs that have
|
| insertion into society. The U.S. Federal
| |
| | complete control over towns and suburban
|
| Bureau of Investigation as well as
| |
| | areas in Honduras, El Salvador, and
|
| national police in three Central American
| |
| | Guatemala.Their often illegal status in
|
| countries actively seek solutions to
| |
| | the United States has thrust the U.S.
|
| break this 20-year-old cycle, but U.S.
| |
| | Department of Homeland Security's section
|
| authorities and their Central American
| |
| | of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to
|
| colleagues face a difficult game of
| |
| | the forefront of U.S. authorities'
|
| catch-up.Born in the USA
| |
| | strategies. This national security and
|
| The civil wars that ravaged Guatemala,
| |
| | international staging approach has caused
|
| Honduras, and El Salvador in the 1980s
| |
| | some friction with local officials who
|
| displaced tens of thousands of Central
| |
| | would prefer to deal with it within their
|
| Americans from their homes into Mexico
| |
| | own security strategies.Central American
|
| and the United States. Many of these
| |
| | Security
|
| families settled in cities in the United
| |
| | Meanwhile, Central American governments
|
| States close to the Mexican border.
| |
| | have taken a zero-tolerance approach to
|
| Cities such as Los Angeles absorbed large
| |
| | dealing with street gangs. While many
|
| communities of Central Americans who
| |
| | observers agree that the gang problem is
|
| sought to carve out a space in the city's
| |
| | a symptom of large-scale social problems
|
| poor neighborhoods that had been
| |
| | rooted in poverty, unemployment, and
|
| controlled by Mexican street gangs since
| |
| | limited opportunity, government officials
|
| as early as the 1950s.The word "mara"
| |
| | have harnessed popular support among
|
| loosely translated from Spanish means
| |
| | voters through promoting policies
|
| group or gang. Salvatrucha, in Salvadoran
| |
| | commonly referred to as "hard hand" and
|
| Spanish slang, means a streetwise
| |
| | "iron fist" or mano dura in Spanish.Mano
|
| Salvadoran. Mara Salvatruchas is a term
| |
| | dura policies specifically target street
|
| that refers to Salvadoran immigrants who
| |
| | gangs, also referred to as pandillas. In
|
| formed gangs in the 70s and 80s to
| |
| | El Salvador, the Super Mano Dura policy
|
| protect themselves from their rivals in
| |
| | is made up of four axes, Salvadoran
|
| the street gangs that dominated Los
| |
| | spokesman for the Ministry of Government,
|
| Angeles at that time.The number 13 marks
| |
| | Porfirio Chica, told the Americas
|
| the position of the letter "m" in the
| |
| | Program. They are: prevention,
|
| alphabet and is a nod to the Mexican
| |
| | rehabilitation, combating crime, and
|
| Mafia, a gang that controls the prisons
| |
| | reinsertion. Yet the policy, when
|
| in Southern California. Put together, the
| |
| | implemented, often leads to national
|
| name "MS-13" states membership of a gang,
| |
| | police officers targeting young men and
|
| primarily made up of Salvadorans, that
| |
| | women for arrest based on tattoos,
|
| holds allegiance to the Mexican Mafia in
| |
| | loitering on certain street corners, or
|
| Southern California.The MS-13 formed in
| |
| | simply association with known gang
|
| California, but over the years has spread
| |
| | members. Cops who arrest gang members see
|
| into Central America due to transnational
| |
| | many of them released within 24 hours due
|
| movement of gang members through choice
| |
| | to lack of evidence pertaining to real
|
| or deportation. Since the mid-90s, the
| |
| | crimes. "Of the 10,000 street gang
|
| U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
| |
| | members currently located in the
|
| Service (INS) has actively deported tens
| |
| | Salvadorian criminal database, over 3,000
|
| of thousands of convicted criminals back
| |
| | currently reside in prison," Chica said,
|
| to their countries of birth in Central
| |
| | adding that "because of a tendency for
|
| America.After September 11, 2001, INS was
| |
| | criminals to organize themselves in
|
| absorbed into U.S. Immigration and
| |
| | prison we have taken the leaders and
|
| Customs Enforcement (ICE), under the
| |
| | placed them in separate maximum security
|
| umbrella of the U.S. Department of
| |
| | prisons."These policies have spurred an
|
| Homeland Security (DHS). ICE, working
| |
| | unofficial war between gang members and
|
| with the other DHS components, presents a
| |
| | the police. Politicians and other members
|
| more comprehensive approach to tackling
| |
| | of Central America's elite social classes
|
| transnational gang violence. However,
| |
| | have also been accused of paying
|
| years of questionable deportation
| |
| | individuals, including off-duty police
|
| policies have left the organization with
| |
| | officers, to hunt down and assassinate
|
| a formidable challenge.In many cases,
| |
| | gang members. The retaliation to these
|
| deported individuals were brought to the
| |
| | street vigilante actions from MS-13
|
| United States at a young age. So when
| |
| | members has been brutal, violent, and
|
| they are deported to Central America,
| |
| | widespread.Carmen Aida Ibarra, a
|
| they have little to depend on in their
| |
| | researcher with the Guatemala-based Myrna
|
| home countries, outside of gang
| |
| | Mack Foundation, told the Americas
|
| connections.The MS-13 is now an
| |
| | Program that "corruption plays an
|
| established presence in Central America.
| |
| | important role because it is the
|
| It actively recruits young men and women,
| |
| | principal factor that impedes the
|
| who in turn eventually find themselves
| |
| | deconstruction of clandestine groups."
|
| back in the United States as illegal
| |
| | Private individuals or interests
|
| immigrants. This cycle, fed in part by
| |
| | perpetuate the illegal violent activities
|
| U.S. deportation strategies, has
| |
| | of these groups by paying them not to
|
| increased MS-13 numbers in both Central
| |
| | kill communists but young gang
|
| America and the United States, where
| |
| | members.Five years after El Salvador's
|
| there is now a significant MS-13 presence
| |
| | civil war ended in 1991, the country
|
| on both the east and west coasts.Over the
| |
| | boasted the world's highest death rate
|
| years, the MS-13 grew and members moved
| |
| | per capita, with over 150 deaths for
|
| beyond Los Angeles into other U.S.
| |
| | every 100,000 inhabitants. Polls showed
|
| cities. MS-13 presence has been spotted
| |
| | that during this time, some 46% of the
|
| in over 33 U.S. states as well as the
| |
| | population believed that citizens
|
| District of Colombia. There are an
| |
| | retained the right to deliver justice
|
| estimated 8,000 to 10,000 MS-13 members
| |
| | with their own hands.While authorities
|
| in the United States, according to the
| |
| | have been targeting gang and criminal
|
| U.S. Department of Justice.As the MS-13
| |
| | violence, the success of polices like
|
| grew throughout the United States their
| |
| | mano dura remains debatable."El Salvador
|
| clashes with rivals from the M-18 gang,
| |
| | still holds the region's number one spot
|
| as well as other street gangs, earned
| |
| | for per capita homicides," Ricardo
|
| MS-13 members a strong reputation for
| |
| | Montoya, analyst with the Research
|
| brutal violence. It is widely known that
| |
| | Foundation for the Application of Law, a
|
| the MS-13 weapon of choice is a
| |
| | Salvadoran research organization, said in
|
| machete.Recruitment is often
| |
| | a recent interview. Montoya explained
|
| self-selective, targets pre-adolescents,
| |
| | that crime, particularly homicide, has
|
| and more often than not leads to a life
| |
| | increased in El Salvador since the first
|
| of crime where the only escape is through
| |
| | application of mano dura politics in
|
| serious injury or death.Gang Life
| |
| | 2003.In 2005 there were 3,812 homicides,
|
| When he was nine, Luis, a former member
| |
| | the highest figure in seven years. This
|
| of the Mara Salvatrucha street gang,
| |
| | is an average of ten to 12 murders a day
|
| started hanging out with gang members in
| |
| | in a county of some 6.7 million people.
|
| Southern California. By the time he was
| |
| | According to the Legal Medical Institute,
|
| 13 he was considered an unofficial member
| |
| | over 80% of those killed were shot in the
|
| of the MS-13. His official membership
| |
| | head.Guatemala currently registers over
|
| began when he was "jumped in." This
| |
| | 100 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants,
|
| process is part of gang law that requires
| |
| | and many of those killed are young men
|
| that new members be jumped by a small
| |
| | believed to be associated with street
|
| group of peers who punch, kick, and
| |
| | gangs. In 2004 some 5,553 youths were
|
| otherwise pummel the new member for the
| |
| | killed in Guatemala, according to Emilio
|
| duration of the initiation ceremony.
| |
| | Goubaud, director of the Association for
|
| Enduring the beating is a show of
| |
| | the Prevention of Crime, a Guatemalan
|
| toughness and loyalty to the gang." When
| |
| | organization.Perhaps the most public
|
| it became law that everybody had to get
| |
| | display of street gang activity happened
|
| jumped in, my homeboys said, 'Hey, you
| |
| | in Honduras in December 2004 when a group
|
| want to keep chillin' with us, you're
| |
| | of MS-13 members attacked a bus with
|
| gonna have to get jumped in'," Luis told
| |
| | automatic rifles. They killed 28
|
| the IRC Americas Program. "I was 16 or 17
| |
| | civilians and wounded 12 more. Their
|
| when I got jumped in," he said.Once young
| |
| | attack is considered to be retaliation
|
| men and women pass through this tough
| |
| | for mano dura policies promoted by the
|
| initiation, they join a large group of
| |
| | Honduran government. Specific death
|
| peers who provide support, protection,
| |
| | threats, left in a note found at the
|
| financial stability, and companionship.
| |
| | scene of the crime, were made to Honduran
|
| Luis explained that, although in the
| |
| | President Ricardo Maduro and
|
| United States he has never seen kids as
| |
| | Congressional leader Lobo
|
| young as seven or eight jumped in, he has
| |
| | Sosa.Transnational Cooperation
|
| seen 7-year-old kids already covered with
| |
| | "When [gang members] came out of the
|
| MS-13 tattoos in Central America.
| |
| | prison systems of the United States and
|
| "They're basically homeless children," he
| |
| | went back [to their home countries],
|
| said.Street gangs create social networks
| |
| | that's when they became more formalized.
|
| that rely on crime to finance what is
| |
| | Then what happened is that the
|
| essentially a lifestyle that allows
| |
| | environment down there was right for
|
| youths to survive in a world where there
| |
| | these kinds of criminal activities and it
|
| are limited opportunities, a lack of
| |
| | just spread," Stanley Stoy, acting
|
| parental presence, and little to no hope
| |
| | director for the FBI's MS-13 National
|
| for a chance at a better life.Luis lived
| |
| | Gang Task Force, told Americas
|
| for a time in Virginia with his mother,
| |
| | Program.Stoy explains that the FBI began
|
| and then eventually moved back to
| |
| | looking at the MS-13 more closely in late
|
| California to live with his father and
| |
| | 2004 due to its level of violence and
|
| aunts, but there was no central parental
| |
| | transnational presence. The FBI has been
|
| figure in his life. So his chosen family
| |
| | active in Central American countries,
|
| became his street gang."When I grew up
| |
| | especially El Salvador, assisting with
|
| and everything I joined the gang, I felt
| |
| | intelligence gathering and promoting
|
| as though I owed something to them,
| |
| | professionalism in the national police.
|
| because they were there for me when I
| |
| | On Sept. 7, 2005 the FBI participated in
|
| actually needed someone," Luis
| |
| | a day-long, large transnational operation
|
| explained."They showed me love; they
| |
| | that included more than 6,400 federal
|
| bought me shoes, clothes, stuff like
| |
| | agents and other officers in 15 U.S.
|
| that. So I felt comfortable with them. I
| |
| | states, Mexico, and Central America. The
|
| didn't sense any danger, or any fear that
| |
| | operation netted 659 arrests of MS-13 and
|
| they were going to get me in trouble. I
| |
| | other transnational gang members: 77 in
|
| only had positive thoughts. I knew what
| |
| | the United States, 232 in El Salvador,
|
| they did, but they explained to me why
| |
| | 162 in Honduras, 98 in Guatemala, and 90
|
| they do what they did."In the slums of
| |
| | in Mexico's Chiapas state, which shares a
|
| Los Angeles and other cities in
| |
| | border with Guatemala.The operation's
|
| California, the kids that come from
| |
| | success demonstrated the benefits of
|
| broken or separated families in marginal
| |
| | transnational cooperation, but some
|
| immigrant communities quickly fall into
| |
| | analysts warn that there are still over
|
| gangs. It's unavoidable, according to
| |
| | 100,000 street gang members in Honduras.
|
| Luis."If you walk down the block, there
| |
| | Other estimates show that there are as
|
| is another gang there. Every block is a
| |
| | many as some 600,000 street gang members
|
| different gang, so people who live over
| |
| | in El Salvador.While these numbers may be
|
| there, especially in neighborhoods where
| |
| | inflated, they illustrate the extent of
|
| there are gangs, it's not like you really
| |
| | the problem. On Sept. 1, 2005, El
|
| have a choice," he said.Getting Out
| |
| | Salvador even took the step of deploying
|
| During a high speed car chase with
| |
| | 1,000 soldiers to reinforce police
|
| police about five years ago, Luis lost
| |
| | efforts to contain street gangs
|
| his left leg after he flew through the
| |
| | there.Experts like Geoff Thale agree that
|
| front windshield of his car in a head-on
| |
| | military involvement is likely to
|
| collision. While recovering in the
| |
| | exacerbate the problem, as other
|
| hospital, family members pleaded with him
| |
| | heavy-handed actions have done, rather
|
| to see his survival of the crash as a
| |
| | than bring a rapid solution. Increased
|
| miracle, and a reason to consider if
| |
| | professionalism among Central American
|
| staying in MS-13 was worth dying for."It
| |
| | police officers is perhaps the quickest
|
| did work. That's when I decided to chill,
| |
| | route to improving security there. U.S.
|
| and I did chill for a while because I was
| |
| | deportation practices should be more
|
| in recovery. But then I ran into some
| |
| | sensitive to Central America's street
|
| friends at a party a few months later,
| |
| | gang problems. But root causes based in
|
| and they wanted me to come back into the
| |
| | poverty and limited opportunity in
|
| game. I couldn't say no, because I knew
| |
| | Central American countries must be
|
| if I didn't do something to prove I was
| |
| | addressed before this endemic security
|
| still chillin' with them, they would try
| |
| | problem can be adequately combated.The
|
| and mess me up, even stab me, for not
| |
| | FBI says that there is no link between
|
| being loyal to them."When the other
| |
| | MS-13 and al-Qaida or other terrorist
|
| members of MS-13 asked Luis to do a
| |
| | groups, but experts believe that the
|
| car-jacking to prove he was still in the
| |
| | MS-13 and other street gang groups have
|
| gang, they left him alone at the scene
| |
| | become more and more involved with the
|
| when a local cop approached and caught
| |
| | elite organized crime groups that traffic
|
| Luis stealing the car, landing him in
| |
| | guns and drugs in the region.If this is
|
| jail. After being betrayed by his
| |
| | the case, then what used to be a regional
|
| friends, "the last thing I wanted while
| |
| | problem could very well stretch into a
|
| in prison was to hear from MS . I was so
| |
| | hemispheric phenomenon, where Colombian
|
| angry, and felt like I had been betrayed,
| |
| | and Mexican organized crime elements
|
| almost like I had been set up," he
| |
| | outsource their dirty work to Central
|
| explained.Back on the streets after
| |
| | America's street gangs. The recent
|
| serving some time for the car-jacking,
| |
| | efforts by U.S. authorities and their
|
| Luis continued to question what kind of
| |
| | Central American counterparts represent a
|
| friends his gang buddies really were,
| |
| | good start in tackling this complex,
|
| guys who had forced him to commit a
| |
| | multi-faceted transnational problem. What
|
| crime, and then abandoned him in the face
| |
| | remains to be seen, however, is whether
|
| of police heat. Even though his mind was
| |
| | this new concerted, multi-national
|
| now filling with thoughts of leaving MS,
| |
| | approach can undo two decades of
|
| he continued to run with the gang, and
| |
| | problematic, uncoordinated efforts."It
|
| was eventually arrested again, this time
| |
| | may develop into something much greater
|
| for possession of cocaine. Luis is still
| |
| | if we didn't address the problem," said
|
| in the United States, working to stay
| |
| | Stoy of the FBI. "We realize that if we
|
| there and break out of the cycle that has
| |
| | didn't do anything toward this problem or
|
| trapped so many other gang
| |
| | to prevent its entrenchment here in the
|
| members.Deportation Policy Exacerbates
| |
| | United States it would overtake us."Sam
|
| the Problem
| |
| | Logan ( is an investigative journalist
|
| U.S. immigration authorities began
| |
| | who has reported on security, energy,
|
| aggressively targeting illegal immigrants
| |
| | politics, economics, organized crime,
|
| within the U.S. prison system in 1996.
| |
| | terrorism, and black markets in Latin
|
| Many prisoners were deported back to
| |
| | America since 1999.
|
| their home countries upon completion of
| |
| |
|
