Mara Salvatrucha

MS XIII
 INTRODUCTION
Mara Salvatrucha (usually abbreviated as
MS, Mara, and MS-13) is an international organization
of associated criminal gangs that originated in Los
Angeles and have expanded to other regions of the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Northern Central
America (Guatemala, El
Salvador, Honduras) and Spain. Most gangs are
made up of Central Americans (Guatemalans,
Salvadorans and Hondurans) and are active in urban
and suburban areas.
They have cells (clicas) located mainly in Central
America, reportedly with more than 70,000
members. The countries most affected by Mara
Salvatrucha are Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador,
Honduras, to a lesser extent Canada, the United
States and Mexico. However, the only Central
American countries that have managed to keep
this movement away are Nicaragua, Costa Rica
and Panama. In South America, outbreaks have
been reported in Peru, Chile and Argentina.
Members of the MS are distinguished by tattoos that
cover the body and also often cover the face, as well
as the use of their own sign language. They are
known for their use of violence and a moral code of
their own that consists largely of relentless vengeance
and cruel retribution. This excessive cruelty of the
members of the gangs or "mareros" allowed them to
be hired by the Sinaloa criminal organization, led by
Joaquín Guzmán Loera, to be trained in the handling
of weapons and counteract the force of the Gulf
Organization (Los Zetas), a war raging south of the
United States border.
The criminal activities of the Mara Salvatrucha
include drug sales, extortion, weapons sales,
kidnapping, robbery and contract killings, among
others. In Central America its presence is due to
the deportation of criminals from the United States
to their countries of origin.
Their activities in the United States attracted the
attention of the FBI who, together with the DEA,
carried out raids against the gang members in
which hundreds of MS members were arrested.
 Etymology
There is some controversy over the etymology of the name. Some
sources claim that the band is named after La Mara, a street in San
Salvador, and the Salvatrucha guerrilla that fought in the Civil War in
El Salvador.11 However, it is possible to deny this source since
there is no street with that name in San Salvador nor the guerrilla
was ever referred to as "salvatrucha" but rather as the Farabundo
Martí National Liberation Front. It can also come from "marabunta",
a species of voracious ants that feed on everything in their path, but
everything seems to indicate that this is a late meaning within this
meaning, since this species of ants is native to Brazil and It is not
common in El Salvador. "Salvatrucha" may be a combination of the
words "Salvadoreño" and "trucha", a popular word that means "to be
alert", although it is of little use in popular Salvadoran speech.
The most likely thing, however, is that the name originates
from the neologism "Mara", popularly used as a synonym
for "group of friends" having widespread use and without
any criminal connection in the 70s and 80s, which left
deforming its meaning towards that of "Gang".
"Salvatrucha" could be because the term "salvatrucho" was
used for some time as a derogatory demonym distorted
from "Salvadoran" and, since the members of the gang
would consider themselves outcasts of their own country,
they could have assumed it as such. Taking into account
exclusively the popular slang of El Salvador, explained
above, the name of the gang would simply mean:
Salvadoran gang.
Which would be consistent with the origin of an
ethnic gang in South Los Angeles. However, over
time it has been made up of Central Americans
(especially Guatemalans and Hondurans) and not
only Salvadorans. This gang has different "clicks"
to control. These cliques contain a likely 700 to
1000 members. Some well-known cliques are
Puerteños (PTLS), Chiltiupan (CHLS), Bosques
(BLS), Tecleños (TLS), San Coco (SCLS), etc.
These cliques are also found in the
United States, cliques such as Brentwood,
Riverhead, Huntington, Hempstead, etc.
 HISTORY
The Salvatrucha gang was created in the 80s and 90s
in
the streets of Los Angeles, California (United States
United) with the purpose of caring for Salvadorans
emigrants. The Salvadoran migration process was
facilitated by the civil war in which the country was
involved within the context of the Cold War.
MS-13 began with the emigration of Salvadorans to the
United States. It is presumed that it began due to the
mistreatment and contempt that existed towards
Salvadorans by Mexicans, African Americans or
Americans.
Thus, a group of Salvadorans, Hondurans and
Guatemalans came together and created this
gang, one of the most violent in the world.
Other gangs or maras that started at the same
time were: Barrio 18, Mexican Mafia, Latin
Kings, Block or Crips, with whom there were
also rivalries. For their part, the FBI and the
DEA have, on several occasions, taken actions
to stop this organized group, going so far as to
deport many of its members to their countries
of origin.
La Mara has experienced a notable increase. It is
presumed that part of the growth of gangs in young
people is due to various family problems,
abandonment, mistreatment, abuse, etc. Mareros
usually start when they are between 12 and 21
years old. These young people enter the Mara in
search of support or a family, this being one of the
main reasons why a high percentage of adolescents
in Central America have been linked in one way or
another to street gangs.
The gang members can be recognized by their
way of walking, clothing, and their oral and sign
language. It is said that the tattoos express their
loyalty and love to the Mara, and each one has a
meaning. The best-known rival of the MS-13 is
Barrio 18, with which it has had, on several
occasions, violent and even deadly episodes. It is
generally understood that to remain in the Mara, it
is necessary to commit these acts of violence. In
fact, it is said that the gang members cannot leave
the Mara, since the only way out is death.
 Rites
Many members of the Mara Salvatrucha get
various tattoos to demonstrate their
membership. Designs include "MS",
"Salvatrucha", the "Devil Horns", the name
of their leaders, and other symbols. This
custom, which was very common in the
beginning of the gang, has been reduced to
avoid being identified due to their criminal
activities.
Members of the Mara Salvatrucha, as well as
members of other more modern American gangs,
use sign language to identify and communicate. Two
of the most common are: one is the "devil's head" or
horns, which form an "M" when shown upside down;
Likewise, the other is to show one or both hands
while hiding the ring finger. The gang performs
initiation rites for both men and women. The men
must endure beatings by other members that last up
to 13 seconds, or enter a rival gang's neighborhood
and kill one of its members.
Women are also often subjected to beatings
and once accepted they have the protection
of the Mara, although they also have to abide
by the decisions of the men. The role of
women in the Mara has varied from simply
being a bride or messenger to taking an
active part in initiation rites and even taking
lives. Women can be even more violent than
men
The Mara Salvatrucha organization has very
violent codes, even to the point of having to
murder other people. Those who speak to the
police when detained are killed upon release. They
also kill leaders who do not obtain the desired
results, or members who remove their tattoos (that
is, who resign from the gang), to name a few
examples. There is a Mara motto that says: "you
live for the Mara or you die for the Mara", meaning
that once inside the gang there is no way out.
 MAIN SYMBOLS THAT
THEY IDENTIFY THEM
They represent your participation in Criminal Activities
MAIN SYMBOLS THAT
THEY IDENTIFY THEM
 MAIN SYMBOLS THAT
THEY IDENTIFY THEM

4- They are tattooed on the

4- They get tattoos on their shoulders and arms

FETISH: A ROSARY
MARA SALVATRUCHA (Tattoos).
MARA SALVATRUCHA (Tattoos).