MS-13
Blood-thirsty. Cut-throat. Savage. Vindictive. Vengeful. Sadistic. These are merely a handful of the nefarious terms to describe this brutal gang that has come to the sunny shores of Hawaii. Mara Salvatrucha, abbreviated to MS-13, is a transnational criminal gang that originated in the streets of Los Angeles, but has spread their poisonous domain to other parts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and now, the islands of Hawaii.
The members of MS-13 are known to distinguish themselves with unique, intricate tattoos that often cover the entire body, including the face, with their own gang logo, or symbol, being among the artworks once the MS-13 member has successfully completed his rite of initiation. Additional common markings consist of: "MS"; "Salvatrucha"; "Devil Horns". While the ink marking of tattoos is still considered a traditional aspect of the MS-13 gang life; recent information has shown that not all the MS-13 members are tattooed from head to foot. Some only possess the single gang symbol tattooed on a part of their body to show their allegiance. This move away from tradition is said to have been brought about by the change in regiment, where crimes were now to be committed without being easily noticed. They also possess their own complex sign language. The gang members have founded a system where they are able to identify and communicate with other members of their gang through hand signs and signals. One of the most commonly displayed sign is the "devil's head" which forms an "M" when displayed upside down. This hand sign is similar to that commonly displayed by heavy metal musicians and their fans.
Often enough, the members of this notorious gang hold no shame, nor discretion in their affiliation to their gang; they think themselves immortal in the fables of the gang and with that, going to prison for some horrendous crime, seems nothing short of a privilege. With this strong sense of pride and loyalty to their fellow gang mates, members of the Mara Salvatrucha are often viewed as tactless, cocky, arrogant sons of bitches that hold little regard to their morals should the integrity of the gang be compromised, or their name strewn among the dirt. This has made MS-13 notorious for their use of violence that accompanies a sub cultural moral code that consists of merciless revenge and cruel retributions.
MS-13 are known to commit numerous crimes, including: drug trafficking, robbery, larceny, human trafficking, extortion, illegal immigration, murder, prostitution, racketeering, battery, kidnapping, and arms trafficking. This is perhaps what has given them such an intimidating name over the years. They also do not hesitate to make crimes publicly known, especially if it involves the betrayal of one of their crew members, or is supposed to serve as a message for both law enforcement, the public, as well as the other larger gangs on the islands and mainland. An example of one of these publicized crimes took place on July 13th, 2003. Brenda Paz, a 17-year-old former MS-13 member turned informant, was found stabbed on the banks of the Shenandoah River in Virginia. Paz was murdered for providing information about MS-13's criminal activities, providing dates and whereabouts for the various meets and drops. More recently, January 8th, 2013, Jeremy Quaz, a former 21-year-old MS-13 member, was brutally murdered and hung from a palm tree along the beach walk-ways in Oahu for disobeying a direct order. There are multiple cases were the MS-13 gang have struck out simply because of their hot-tempered attitudes; some of which are far too gruesome to recall.
The members of MS-13 are known to distinguish themselves with unique, intricate tattoos that often cover the entire body, including the face, with their own gang logo, or symbol, being among the artworks once the MS-13 member has successfully completed his rite of initiation. Additional common markings consist of: "MS"; "Salvatrucha"; "Devil Horns". While the ink marking of tattoos is still considered a traditional aspect of the MS-13 gang life; recent information has shown that not all the MS-13 members are tattooed from head to foot. Some only possess the single gang symbol tattooed on a part of their body to show their allegiance. This move away from tradition is said to have been brought about by the change in regiment, where crimes were now to be committed without being easily noticed. They also possess their own complex sign language. The gang members have founded a system where they are able to identify and communicate with other members of their gang through hand signs and signals. One of the most commonly displayed sign is the "devil's head" which forms an "M" when displayed upside down. This hand sign is similar to that commonly displayed by heavy metal musicians and their fans.
Often enough, the members of this notorious gang hold no shame, nor discretion in their affiliation to their gang; they think themselves immortal in the fables of the gang and with that, going to prison for some horrendous crime, seems nothing short of a privilege. With this strong sense of pride and loyalty to their fellow gang mates, members of the Mara Salvatrucha are often viewed as tactless, cocky, arrogant sons of bitches that hold little regard to their morals should the integrity of the gang be compromised, or their name strewn among the dirt. This has made MS-13 notorious for their use of violence that accompanies a sub cultural moral code that consists of merciless revenge and cruel retributions.
MS-13 are known to commit numerous crimes, including: drug trafficking, robbery, larceny, human trafficking, extortion, illegal immigration, murder, prostitution, racketeering, battery, kidnapping, and arms trafficking. This is perhaps what has given them such an intimidating name over the years. They also do not hesitate to make crimes publicly known, especially if it involves the betrayal of one of their crew members, or is supposed to serve as a message for both law enforcement, the public, as well as the other larger gangs on the islands and mainland. An example of one of these publicized crimes took place on July 13th, 2003. Brenda Paz, a 17-year-old former MS-13 member turned informant, was found stabbed on the banks of the Shenandoah River in Virginia. Paz was murdered for providing information about MS-13's criminal activities, providing dates and whereabouts for the various meets and drops. More recently, January 8th, 2013, Jeremy Quaz, a former 21-year-old MS-13 member, was brutally murdered and hung from a palm tree along the beach walk-ways in Oahu for disobeying a direct order. There are multiple cases were the MS-13 gang have struck out simply because of their hot-tempered attitudes; some of which are far too gruesome to recall.