Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang and US-designated terrorist organization [17] that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in …

Mar 28, 2025 · Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), international gang involved in drug and human smuggling, prostitution, murder, and extortion, among other illegal activities. It was founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s by immigrants from El Salvador and later spread throughout the United States, Central America, and Canada, gaining a reputation for extreme violence.

Apr 19, 2017 · The MS stands for Mara Salvatrucha, said to be a combination of Mara, meaning gang, Salva, for Salvador, and trucha, which translates roughly into street smarts. The 13 represents the position...

Mar 27, 2025 · Federal authorities arrested Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos – a 24-year-old alleged leader of MS-13, the Mara Salvatrucha gang – on a gun charge early Thursday morning in northern Virginia, the ...

Feb 28, 2024 · The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere. While it has its origins in the poor, refugee-laden neighborhoods of 1980s Los Angeles, the gang’s reach now spans from Central America to Europe.

Jan 17, 2025 · David Sosa-Guevara, also known as “Risky,” the New York regional leader of the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) clique of MS-13, and Victor Lopez-Morales, also known as “Persa,” a high-ranking member of the Hollywood clique, pleaded guilty on …

Mar 19, 2025 · Francisco Javier Román-Bardales is believed to be a key senior leader of Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, the FBI announced Tuesday.

Feb 16, 2018 · The Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) is one of the world’s largest and arguably most violent street gangs. After relatively humble beginnings in Los Angeles in the 1980s, it has spread to more than a half-dozen countries and become a …

La Mara Salvatrucha, known colloquially and infamously as MS-13, is a vicious, barbaric street gang. Now in as many as 40 states across the U.S., MS-13 members murder and rape, maim and terrorize. The stories of their depraved crimes are legendary.

Feb 28, 2024 · Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, is a violent transnational gang that originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s, primarily among Salvadoran immigrants. Known for its extreme brutality, MS-13 is involved in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, and murder.