Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is a gang having its base in Los Angeles and also found to be functional in Central America, mostly consisting of Salvatruchas. The name in Spanish Language signifies 'street-tough Salvadorans'. The origin of this gang is traced to the year 1980s with the occurrence of violent civil war in Elsalvador. Its strength has increased to 50,000 members during 2005 in Central American and eight to ten thousand in United States. The No. 13 in the name signifies the gang number related to the Southern California and also stands for thirteen principles that the gang normally adheres to. At the time of Civil War in El Salvador in the 1980s, migration of many Savadorans to United States took place in order to avoid death. 1.

             Most of them were concentrated in Los Angeles and other parts of California and Washington DC. On arrival they found themselves in the poverty stricken neighborhoods, without employment and hated by some Hispanics, mostly Mexicans, they compelled to form the gang Marasavatrucha -- MSS in the Pico Union area of Los Angeles, so as to safeguard themselves. They subsequently associated with drug trafficking and also committing murders. Irrespective of the fact that this was originated among the immigrants in the United States, the Mara Savatrucha presently has a large existence in El Salvador. This is attributed to the policy factor of the United States to deport the convicted criminals back to the originated nation. On returning to El Salvador such deportees have engaged more and more members and increased their strength. There is no age criterion for enrolment into such gang and it ranges from 8 to 50 years. 2.

             The gangs transmitted from Salvadoran and Los Angeles and circulated now in Belize, Northern Honduras, Guatemala, Canada, and Mexico and over 30 US States, particularly on Long Island, New Orleans and around Washington DC in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.