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of the Mexican border and, in addition to its smuggling and contraband rackets, the gang collects money from illegal immigrants that it helps [move] across the border into the United States." Many illegal immigrants have been assaulted, robbed, and even raped by MS-13 members.(3)

One major difference between MS-13 and the typical street gang is that it maintains an active link between MS-13 members in the United States and In El Salvador. In fact this gang is known to coordinate efforts between El Salvador, Mexico, the United States and Canada. One major factor that encourages this participation is that cheap military grade munitions and narcotics from south of the border are shipped north in exchange for handguns and stolen automobiles.(4) This system of exchange has many implications not the least of which is that: "For those in the United States, it offers access to an unlimited arsenal at subsidized prices, allowing U.S. Salvatruchas to outgun and overpower nearly any potential adversary, including law-enforcement personnel not fully aware of the arsenal available to or the ferocity of their opposition."(5)

MS-13 has been identified with numerous crimes within the United States that range from the execution of three federal agents and other shootings of law-enforcement officers across the country, rapes, robberies and machete attacks.(6)

There are tens of thousands of MS-13 members in the United States. Many of these are second generation illegal immigrants, male, adolescents. There are 10,000 MS-13 members in the Los Angeles area alone, many with outstanding arrest warrants. The Virginia Police department reports that there are 3,500 MS-13 members in Northern Virginia alone.(7)

The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) has noted the following information through the review of survey responses received from 301 law-enforcement agencies throughout the country: Hispanic gangs, such as Mara Salvatrucha 13 and its offshoots were reported in 167 jurisdictions in 41 states and make up 29 percent of all gangs reported within the continental United States.(8)

South of the border MS13 numbers more than 250,000 members in Central America and significant numbers in the tens of thousands in the United States, it has created an international group of criminals within the country.

An international criminal organization of this magnitude with no political or national allegiances helps to set the back drop for what could pass for the plot of a great spy novel, but unfortunately

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