HomeNewsBriefMS13 Expanding After Truce Collapse in El Salvador?
BRIEF

MS13 Expanding After Truce Collapse in El Salvador?

EL SALVADOR GANG TRUCE / 2 JUN 2014 BY MARGUERITE CAWLEY EN

In the aftermath of the collapse of El Salvador's gang truce, authorities have said the MS13 gang is deepening its hold on illegal migration routes in Mexico, a possible sign of the increasing transnational capabilities indicated by both Salvadoran and US officials.

Cells of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) are attempting to establish control over routes used by migrants in various towns in Chiapas state, on the border with Guatemala. They are targeting undocumented migrants for extortion and kidnapping, among other crimes, reported Proceso.

According to the special prosecutor for Chiapas' migrant unit, Alejandro Vila, there have already been a number of confrontations between these cells and their rivals of Barrio 18, also present in the zone.

Vila said the renewed presence of the MS13 was a result of the reactivation of freight train "The Beast," commonly used by northward bound Central American migrants. The train's operations had been suspended due to hurricane damage.

The report comes shortly after El Salvador's outgoing president declared the truce between the MS13 and Barrio 18 had "failed." Just before the announcement, the tiny Central American nation saw a return to record murder rates, with 30 homicides registered in a single day.

InSight Crime Analysis

El Salvador's gang truce, initially credited with nearly halving the country's homicide rate, was abandoned by the government that helped negotiate it. Homicides have been steadily rising since mid-2013, and truce critics -- particularly Security Minister Ricardo Perdomo -- have claimed the gangs simply used the initiative to grow stronger and increase their involvement in transnational drug trafficking

SEE ALSO: El Salvador's Gang Truce: Positives and Negatives

The United States had already given a similar prognosis for the MS13 in late 2012, when it designated the group a transnational criminal organization, citing activities including drug trafficking, human smuggling and sex trafficking.

The MS13's structure has been previously described as a loose, decentralized network with highly localized operations. However, there have been signs of a growingly sophisticated and integrated command structure, including interactions between US-based leaders and Salvadoran members.

If the MS13 is increasing its presence in Mexico's southern border region, this could be another indication of increasing transnational reach. While the gang has long been involved in kidnapping and extorting migrants, the current report suggests significant control over a large area, which would demand some coordination. However there it is perhaps easy to overestimate the cohesion of MS13, which is not a centrally directed and coordinated organization, but rather a franchise of affiliated cliques, which can sometimes work together.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BARRIO 18 / 14 SEP 2022

In the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico, Carlos was trained to become a ruthless soldier for the Cárteles Unidos.

CRIMINAL MIGRATION / 12 OCT 2022

US and Guatemalan authorities will tell you Moises Humberto Rivera Luna, alias "Viejo Santos," is a top member of the…

BARRIO 18 / 29 NOV 2022

Honduras declared a state of exception as extortion cases rise, suspending constitutional rights in cities and deploying thousands of troops.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Contributes Expertise Across the Board 

22 SEP 2023

This week InSight Crime investigators Sara García and María Fernanda Ramírez led a discussion of the challenges posed by Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” plan within urban contexts. The…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in New Colombia Drug Policy Plan

15 SEP 2023

InSight Crime’s work on emerging coca cultivation in Honduras, Guatemala, and Venezuela was cited in the Colombian government’s…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Discusses Honduran Women's Prison Investigation

8 SEP 2023

Investigators Victoria Dittmar and María Fernanda Ramírez discussed InSight Crime’s recent investigation of a massacre in Honduras’ only women’s prison in a Twitter Spaces event on…

THE ORGANIZATION

Human Trafficking Investigation Published in Leading Mexican Newspaper

1 SEP 2023

Leading Mexican media outlet El Universal featured our most recent investigation, “The Geography of Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border,” on the front page of its August 30…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Coverage of Ecuador Leads International Debate

25 AUG 2023

This week, Jeremy McDermott, co-director of InSight Crime, was interviewed by La Sexta, a Spanish television channel, about the situation of extreme violence and insecurity in Ecuador…