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Similar But Unique:The “Peculiar” Case of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

Similar But Unique:The “Peculiar” Case of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Cheryl Maxson Department of Criminology, Law & Society University of California, Irvine April 16, 2009 Youth Violence Prevention Conference, UMSL. Developmental Stages in Contrarian Research.

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Similar But Unique:The “Peculiar” Case of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)

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  1. Similar But Unique:The “Peculiar” Case of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) Cheryl Maxson Department of Criminology, Law & Society University of California, Irvine April 16, 2009 Youth Violence Prevention Conference, UMSL

  2. Developmental Stages in Contrarian Research • “Wait a minute…that doesn’t sound right” (based on what we know from gang research and theory…) • “How do they know that?” (I’ll bet a good study would show something else…) • BUT, “It might be true, under these special conditions.” • “Maybe this one is different” Or “Maybe things really have changed.”

  3. The MS-13 in LA, DC & San Salvador (NIJ Study) • Summarize what is “known” about MS-13 • Scope & nature, including whether there are transnational networks • Impact of gang migration and transnat’l. networks on organizational characteristics, crime patterns • What are the current programs and policies? • Recommendations for further research and practice

  4. Table 1: Type of Affiliated Organization of Interview Sample

  5. MS-13 states with clique activity = MS-13 states with no reported activity = MS-13 transient activity no established cliques = AK WA NH VT ME MA MT ND OR MN RI ID SD NY WI CT WY MI PA IA NE NJ NV OH UT IN IL DE CO WV CA VA KS MO KY MD NC TN DC AZ OK NM AR SC MS AL GA TX LA HI FL Based on FBI 2007 NTAI

  6. The Mara Salvatrucha in L. A. • Began in the early 1980’s • Prevalence??? • Geographically-based clikas without leaders and only loosely organized • Violence levels, undocumented. Currently not very active

  7. MS in El Salvador • Deported LA gang members in early 1990’s • 22,000 members (police estimate) • More organized, hierarchical leadership, some direction from prison • High levels of violence • Frequent contact with LA MS members, primarily social

  8. MS in DC-Metro Area • Present by 1989 • Prevalence? • Loosely organized, no recognized leaders • Not very active

  9. Federal Responses to MS-13 & Gangs (2005 on) • Dept. of Homeland Security (ICE), Operation Community Shield • FBI MS-13 Task Force, later National Gang Task Force • FBI National Gang Intelligence Center • US Attorneys, Project Safe Neighborhood • ATF Safe Neighborhoods • N. Virginia Gang Task Force (US DOJ funding) • FBI Transnational Anti-Gang (TAG) program • FBI Central American Fingerprint Exploitation (CAFÉ)

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