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.
As an international gang, its history is closely tied to United States–El Salvador relations. In 2018, the gang's US membership of up to 10,000 accounted for less than 1% of the 1.4 million gang members in the United States, and a similar share of gang murders. On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the process to designate various drug cartels and transnational gangs, including MS-13, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).[17] The order was officially enacted on February 20, 2025, making such groups officially terrorist organizations.[18]
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