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 confirmed MS-13 gang member's tattoos were photographed for the police data base. The gang member had an outstanding warrant out for a charge he failed to appear in court for and was taken into police custody. Langley Park is a Washington, D.C. suburb known for its large Hispanic population with a well entrenched presence of MS-13. MS-13 was originally formed in Los Angeles in the early 1980's following a mass exodus of families from El Salvador fleeing the country's violent civil war between leftist guerillas and a right wing government. MS-13 formed for neighborhood protection after Salvadorean immigrants in Los Angeles were continually preyed upon by 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. If they commit a felony or deportable offense, gang members not born in the US are deported back to Central America. 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)