Immigrants in Jail and in Gangs, Involved in Criminal Activity
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 In the 1990s, the United States started deporting members of what is
considered to be America’s most dangerous gang. The gang is called Mara
Salvatrucha and is also known as MS-13. When broken down, mara is a Salvadoran
word that means gang. The other half or Salvatrucha refers to a Salvadoran guy.
The number 13 was chosen because it is a popular gang number adopted by other
Hispanic gangs. The gang’s roots can be traced back to East Los Angeles or more
specifically MacArthur Park in the 1980s. Many Salvadoran immigrants finding
themselves in a new land and without any family members to turn to in the United
States found support in each other. Without jobs this small group resorted to
criminal activity such as theft to bring in income. They were usually teenage
refugees coming from a country which had recently experienced a civil war. Some
had been forced to become members of the Salvadoran Army and thus already had
experience in handling guns and possibly killing. With time this small gang grew
and today it is estimated that Mara Salvatrucha has over 50,000 members. Unlike
other gangs, this one has gone on to become international. The gang has members
throughout 34 states and in six countries. MS-13 continues to aggressively
recruit new members. The gang’s recruiting efforts are highly organized. For
example, in 1994 one of the members of a well established clique of the gang was
handing out business cards in a community in Los Angeles,
California. He was on
a street corner and his business card included the nickname he goes by in the
gang and his contact information.
Members of the MS-13 gang standout due to their visible tattoos. Some have even
gone as far as tattooing their face with tattoos that clearly identify them as
members. They instill fear in many communities and have a reputation as being
one of the most gruesome gangs. There at least 100 FBI agents that devote their
time tracking down members of Mara Salvatrucha in the United States. Recently
one gang member made it on to the most wanted list. Some of the ways that Mara
Salvatrucha obtains income is by taking part in activities that include
racketeering, extortion and human smuggling. Recently they have been under FBI
investigation due to suspected shoplifting rings throughout the United States.
The gang members are suspected of working closely with Middle Eastern
individuals and of trafficking millions in stolen merchandise and medicine. Some
of the states with the highest concentrations of MS-13 members include:
California, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina,
Texas,
Massachusetts, Tennessee and Georgia. When Mara Salvatrucha members are
arrested, authorities have found several members to be illegally in the U.S.
Many of them have been deported back to their home country, which usually is
Central America. Many of the deportees are from El Salvador. While a small
percentage will stay in Central America and recruit new members, the majority of
the gang members who are illegal immigrants will make their way back to the
United States. On their way back to the U.S., Salvadoran authorities cannot
prevent them from returning since the MS-13 members tend to have no criminal
record in El Salvador.
The Salvadoran police are having trouble dealing with the Mara Salvatrucha
members at home. The presence of the gang is evident in graffiti and crimes
committed throughout the country. Currently, the national prison system in El
Salvador is overburdened by the increasing number of inmates. Salvadoran
officials have an estimated 1,800 members of MS-13 in their prisons which
outnumbers the members of all other Salvadoran gangs combined. Country officials
claim that about 60% of gang members in their prison system fled the U.S. to
prevent criminal prosecution or were deported by the U.S. In the time period of
a little over a decade, immigration authorities in the United States have
deported an estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants who committed crimes to Central
America. What the United States once saw as a solution has backfired. It has
allowed a gang like Mara Salvatrucha to propel itself into international growth.
To deal with this problem the United States has said they will assemble stronger
cases against MS-13 members and give them longer sentences before the
illegal
immigrants with criminal activities are deported to their respective countries.
Other countries such as Honduras, Jamaica, Guyana, Cambodia, and the Dominican
Republic among others have voiced their concerns regarding deportation to U.S.
officials. Officials claim that deportees have contributed to increased criminal
activities in their home countries.
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