Hannah Penner

Political Science

Mentor: Jeannie Johnson

Cultural Traits of Salvadoran Gangs Offer Chance for U.S. to Weaken MS-13

MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) was founded by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing a harsh civil war in California during the 1980s. It became an international organization after deportation tactics in the LA barrios exported the threat to El Salvador. MS-13 is a complex and loose network of cliques found throughout the US and El Salvador. These cliques, many of which have no knowledge of each other, are connected by name and cultural components but not by any form of central leadership, making the gang difficult to pinpoint, target, and exploit. With 10,000 members in the United States, MS-13 has evolved into a predator gang with a reputation of ultraviolence. As gang activity has increased in recent years, the Trump administration prioritizes the eradication of MS-13. Understanding the cultural tactics of MS-13 can help the US decrease gang activity, violence, and recruitment, as well as deter illegal immigration to the US from El Salvador.