08-31-2007, 01:48 AM
From an NY-times article:
Not to downplay the severity of the effects in the US of MS-13, or many other gangs, but raising that particular gang to the level of a boogey-man simply adds to their mystique, as it has for Al Qaeda and anyone else claiming to be associated with them. The current right-wing anti-immigrant backlash in the US makes MS-13 a particularly convenient target.
Quote:But in a way, the intense focus on MS-13 adds to its mystique and potency, providing a dangerous model for teenagers looking for trouble.
MS-13 was formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s by refugees from El Salvador, and the F.B.I. estimates the gang now has 10,000 members operating in cells or âcliquesâ in 42 states and an additional 50,000 members in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Like other gangs, MS-13 initiates members by beating them. In 2004, the F.B.I. created the MS-13 National Gang Force to respond, the agency said, to the gangâs growing threat.
âMS-13 has the unique, unfortunate ability to replicate themselves in similar ways across the United States, exactly like a virus,â said Brian Truchon, the director of the task force. âIt is known for its ability to operate between borders, to effectively communicate and move between Central America and the U.S.â
But critics question whether the federal government is overstating the gangâs reach. According to F.B.I. estimates, other gangs have far more members nationally. For instance, the agency puts membership in the 18th Street gang somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000; the Bloods at between 15,000 to 20,000, and the Gangster Disciples at between 50,000 to 100,000.
Not to downplay the severity of the effects in the US of MS-13, or many other gangs, but raising that particular gang to the level of a boogey-man simply adds to their mystique, as it has for Al Qaeda and anyone else claiming to be associated with them. The current right-wing anti-immigrant backlash in the US makes MS-13 a particularly convenient target.