Los Angeles Raid Results in Arrest of MS-13 Gang Members

On Wednesday, May 17, twenty-one people suspected of being part of the MS-13 gang were arrested during the early morning hours—federal personnel swept their way into suspected homes and businesses within the Los Angeles area, following a two-year investigation of the gang.

MS-13, also known as the Mara Salvatrucha, “is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere.  While it has its origins in the poor, refugee-laden neighborhoods of 1980s Los Angeles, the gang’s reach now extends from Central American nations like El Salvador and through Mexico, the United States, and Canada.  They rob, extort and bully their way into neighborhoods and have gradually turned to transnational crimes such as human smuggling and drug trafficking.  Their activities have helped make the North Triangle—Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras—the most violent place in the world that is not at war.”

Richard Winton and Hailey Branson-Potts of the Los Angeles Times write that, “The detainees were among 44 gang suspects facing federal charges—including murder and racketeering—listed in a 41-count federal indictment unsealed Wednesday, officials said.  Twenty suspects were already in custody, and three are considered fugitives.”  Los Angeles, home to the Bloods and the Crips (a group of notorious gangs in the United States), with an addition of the Mara Salvatrucha, is quite a threatening area for those wandering in the wrong parts of town.

It is said that MS-13 victimizes those in America who are immigrants without citizenship.  “They extort them.  They rob them.  They rape them.  They murder them.  Without their cooperation as witnesses, none of this would be possible,” says Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.

Reported at 4 AM on Wednesday morning, armed ATF agents stormed a storefront and back building in Exposition Park.  Upon entering the premise, “federal agents and police detectives found what they described as gang members involved in human trafficking, as well as possible victims… A few of the people detained were handcuffed and lined up facing a metal fence in the alleyway next to the armored vehicle.”

President Trump dubbed the MS-13 as a serious threat, one that will be suppressed during his time in office.  He blames former President Barack Obama for allowing the MS-13 to form in America, despite its emergence occurring in the 1980s.  President Trump tweets, “The weak illegal immigration policies of the Obama Admin. allowed bad MS-13 gangs to form in cities across U.S.  We are removing them fast!”

Regardless of such words, efforts are being taken to ensure that safety is prioritized for all.  MS-13 and such related gangs are being subdued in their criminal actions in order to guarantee a safer tomorrow.

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons