Law Enforcement Around The U.S. Fight The Street Gang MS-13

LANGLEY PARK, MD - APRIL 20: Armed police from Maryland's Prince George's County Anti-Gang Unit question and detain a confirmed gang member of Mara Salvatrucha 13, or MS-13, April 20, 2006 in Langley Park, Maryland. The gang member, Juan Bonilla, had an outstanding warrant out for his arrest for 1st degree assault from a stabbing incident against a rival gang member in early 2006. Bonilla shows all the signs of a decked out MS-13 gang member: MS-13 tattoos, MS-13 belt buckle, cut eye brows with the '1' and '3' number and the trademark blue and white clothing (the main colors of the Salvadoran flag). Langley Park is a Washington, D.C. suburb known for its high Hispanic population with a well entrenched presence of MS-13. MS-13 was originally formed in South Los Angeles in the early 1980's following a mass exodus from El Salvador of families fleeing the country's violent civil war between leftist guerillas and a right wing US supported government. MS-13 formed for neighborhood protection after Salvadorean immigrants were continually preyed upon in Los Angeles by well organized Mexican street gangs. There are an estimated 10,000 MS-13 members now in the US in approximately 33 states. MS-13 is involved with drug smuggling, extortion and prostitution. Gang members not born in the US are deported back to Central America if they commit a felony or deportable offence. The policy of deporting criminals has come under political attack for serving only as a short term solution to a failed immigration policy. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)