According to Public Safety Canada, MS-13, AKA La Mara Salvatrucha, “is a transnational criminal organization primarily operating out of El Salvador, with a significant presence in Honduras, Guatemala, and the United States. In El Salvador, MS-13 has evolved from its origins as a street gang into a criminal-economic-military-political power. MS-13 has engaged in widespread, targeted killings of law enforcement and other state officials; the indiscriminate killings of civilians; have used violence to shut down or seize control of vital public services; have established military-style training camps for its members; and have obtained military weapons in order to instill terror and enforce their will on the state and populace.”







