MS-13
MS-13
Many MS-13 members were deported to El Salvador after the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992, or upon being arrested, facilitating the spread of the gang to Central America. The gang is active in many parts of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Most members are Central American—Salvadorans in particular.
MS-13
As an international gang, its history is closely tied to United States–El Salvador relations. In 2018, the gang's US membership of up to 10,000 accounted for less than 1% of the 1.4 million gang members in the United States, and a similar share of gang murders. On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the process to designate various drug cartels and transnational gangs, including MS-13, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The order was officially enacted on February 20, 2025, making such groups officially terrorist organizations.
Etymology
There is some dispute about the etymology of the name. Some sources state the gang is named for La Mara, a street in San Salvador, and the Salvatrucha guerrillas who fought in the Salvadoran Civil War. Additionally, the word mara means "swarm" in Caliche slang and is taken from marabunta, the name of a fierce type of ant. "Salvatrucha" may be a combination of the words Salvadoran and trucha, a Caliche word for being alert. The term "Salvatruchas" has been explained as a reference to Salvadoran peasants trained to become guerrilla fighters, referred to as the "Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front." "13" is believed to stand for the letter M, the thirteenth letter of the alphabet, but it is also rumored to pay homage to the Mexican Mafia prison gang.
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