To many Americans, MaraSalvatrucha or commonly known on the streets as (MS-13) is an unknown gang but to (FBI) Federal Bureau Investigation,(ATF ) Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as local law enforcement, MS-13 is a globalized threat of ruthless criminal uprising whose numbers are increasing exponentially. These scourges of criminals are not only making their mark here in the United States, but they are deeply rooted in their home country of El Salvador and throughout Central America, with the exception of Costa Rica and Panama. From drug and human trafficking across the border to murders, kidnappings, prostitution rings, and drug distribution in the United States and other countries, MS-13 is a force to be reckoned with and is as problematic as terrorism for law enforcement. the roots go back to the Salvadoran civil war of the 1980s (cited in Franco, C., 2007). During the 1980s, El Salvador faced numerous political and military problems between the elected government and all those who supported social and economic reforms. Fearing for their lives, many young Salvadorans who had collaborated with rebel forces against the government and were familiar with weapons and military training, fled north to neighboring countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, United States and parts of Canada. Here in the United States, the majority of refugees landed in Los Angeles as illegal immigrants, struggling to adapt to the city's social and political environment. With minimal education, illegal alien status and no work experience, many of these young people turned to Los Angeles. gangs and criminal activities in order to survive, but they quickly discovered that the gang hierarchy had already been established...... middle of paper ...... they can control this out of control epidemic, to keep our streets and our borders safe.Works CitedBruneau,C.,(2005, May).The Maras and national security in Central America. Strategic perspectives (5). Retrieved from http://www.nps.edu/academics/centers/publications/onlinejournal/2005/may/bruneaumay05.htmlCampo-Romano, A., (March 2005). America's Most Dangerous Gang, Newsweek, 145, retrieved from http://www1.american.edu/councils/americas/Documents/GangViolence/Newsweek%20CA%20Gang%20Article.doc.Cruz, M., (2009 , may ). Global Gangs in El Salvador: Maras and the Politics of Violence, retrieved from http://graduateinstitute.ch/weddav/site/ccdp/shared/5039/cruz-global-gangs-in-El-Salvador.pdfFranco, C., (2007, May). The MS-13 and 18th Street Gangs: Emerging Threats from Transnational Gangs, retrieved from http://opencrs.com/document/RL34233/2007-11-02/download/1006/.