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Street gangs have been a regional problem in the United States for a long time, but today's gangs seem more violent and organized than ever. Some even seem to be growing and evolving into transnational threats. The most widely recognized and publicized of these evolving gangs is Mara Salvatrucha (aka MS-13). This paper looks at the international threat from MS-13 by examining the gang's history and identifying the characteristics that make MS-13 an international problem. Building on this analysis, the paper identifies immediate and developing areas of concern and recommends how the US should mitigate the resulting threats. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.