10 members of MS-13 gang accused of brutal murders arrested in New York

Ten members of the MS-13 violent group were arrested in New York this week. They are accused of racketeering and three brutal murders committed in Queens in 2018 and 2019, writes NBC New York.

Six gang members were arrested by U.S. and FBI national security agents, and four were already in custody on other charges.

Among the charges brought by him are extortion, attempted murder, conspiracy to kill and violation of the rules of possession of firearms.

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The court documents speak of three murders, the last victim of which was Victor Alvarengi. On November 4, 2019, he was shot dead near his own house in Flushing. Nine months ago, Abel Mosso became a victim of the murder. He was shot dead on the platform of the 90th Street subway station in Jackson Heights. The reason for the murder was that representatives of MS-13 considered him a member of a rival gang.

The third murder took place on April 23, 2018, when Andy Peralta, 17, died. He was beaten, strangled, and stabbed several times at Kissen Park in Flushing.

“The killings and violent crimes committed by these accused are the hallmark of MS-13 - cold-blooded, senseless and brutal. They pose a serious threat to our community, ”said Attorney Richard Donoghue.

All detainees face life imprisonment or the death penalty.

About the gang

Gang formation MS-13 was founded by immigrants from Central America in Los Angeles in the 1980s. According to the FBI, its number is up to 10 thousand people in the United States and more than 30 thousand worldwide. This gang has been operating on the streets of several US cities for over 30 years. They began their activities in Los Angeles, California.

In the 1980s, when a brutal civil war unfolded in El Salvador, 300 thousand refugees poured into the United States, in particular in Los Angeles, in search of a safe life. Like the most famous world gangs of Triad and Cosa Nostre, MS-13 appeared as a defensive reaction of Salvadorans to harassment by local residents and other immigrants. Salvadorians were often attacked by groups of African Americans and Latinos. With one of them, “Gang from the 18th Street”, the MS-13 is still waging a bloody war.

The name MS-13 stands for Mara salvatrucha and means "Salvadoran stray ants". As for the meaning of the number 13, there are 2 options: whether this is 13th street in Los Angeles, which became the cradle of the gang, or the position of the letter M in the Latin alphabet, showing their connection with Mexican drug cartels, because the main ally of MS-13 is the association " Sinaloa ”is the oldest and largest drug cartel in the world.

Today in the United States there are more than 10 thousand fighters of this gang, and around the world their number varies from 100 to 300 thousand members, turning it into one of the most influential groups on the planet. with the BBC.

MS-13 usually recruits children of 8 – 10 years. By the 18 years, they are already hardened criminals with rich criminal experience. Recruitment takes place right on the sports fields and in schools, and for refusing to join the ranks of the gang can kill, writes Look 3.

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There are 2 main rituals when joining a gang. The first one is called “inward jump” - several members of the group brutally beat the recruit for 13 seconds. After the “jump” the future gangster is taught the basic rules: recruit and kill.

After a year or two, the time of the second ritual comes. The boy is taken to the territory of another gang and give a gun in his hands. There, he must commit his first murder, shooting another thug. After this guy is taken into business, and he becomes a full member of the gang.

The influence of the group extends not only to the streets. According to the FBI, several thousand gang members serve in the U.S. armed forces, where they receive military education and recruit new soldiers. Prisons are a separate item. For a member of MS-13, prison is an essential part of their “career” where they learn “concepts.” In El Salvador, there are 24,5 thousand prisoners, and almost half of them are MS-13 members. There are prisons in which 100% of prisoners are in a gang.
It is impossible to exit MS-13. Everyone who joined her in childhood remains a member of the gang until his death.

“From the gang, all roads lead to 3 places: to a prison, hospital or cemetery,” its participants say.

Among the hallmarks of MS-13 are graffiti and tattoos. They mark their streets, put gang tags or clicks to make it clear to competitors that they should not meddle in this territory. Often, graffiti is dedicated to recently killed gang members. Street drawings MS-13 can be seen in the territory from Spain to Alaska.

Tattoos sometimes cover the entire bandit's body, while Yakuza's tattoos are printed exactly along the line of clothing. MS-13 often beat them even on the face to show everyone around who they are. The most common tattoo on the face is a tear under the eye, it means that the person committed the murder.