A Los Angeles neighborhood in the 1980s was where the Mara Salvatrucha emerged. Also called MS13, the gang’s original purpose was to protect immigrants who came to the United States from El Salvador, fleeing their homeland’s Civil War.
However, MS13 broadened its motivations and spread throughout Central America, Mexico, the U.S. and several countries in Europe. Composed of thousands of young people and adults, the Mara Salvatrucha has been involved in drug trafficking, organized crime and extortion and is one of the most feared criminal organizations today.
How did an L.A. gang grow to such an extent, and how does it control such a large territory?