To be honest, my bias comes from being on the west coast and as I read some of these real bad recent incidences involving MS13 I see that almost all involve east coast towns. MS 13 is nothing new in this country although reading the articles sometimes you’d get the impression that MS is “coming” and on the rise. Maybe somewhat true that they’re new to some towns but overall I’m very skeptical that they’re any bigger than 10 years ago.

And although there has been many attempts by members throughout the gang that have tried to connect and organize the different cliques across the country and outside the country, it really doesn’t last and work that way. In reality, MS 13 in LA is nothing like the MS 13 in El Salvador which is not the same as MS 13 on the east coast. Very loosely connected, but totally different. A lot of articles that people write about MS13 blend up all the stories of US MS13 activity with El Salvador activity and make no distinctions. A lot of the authors don’t know anything about gangs and gang culture so everything has to be taken with a gain of salt. A lot of times they will interview a random gang member or ex gang member who will usually exaggerate or straight up lie about the inner workings of the gang in order to make the gang or themselves sound more terrifying. Super common but writers go with it without skepticism.

I’ve watched documentaries on 18st and MS in El Salvador and Guatemala, and there’s not too much they have in common with US gang members. The way they dress, talk, their rules, rituals, even down to the graffiti and the way they interact with each other is different. Their style was originally loosely based on and inspired by LA gang style in the beginning but grew into something different.

Those east coast MS 13’s seem off the reservation with the idiotic shit they’re doing. I can’t speak on it or call it, because it’s not my region. Even still, I’d need some hard numbers on the amount of these over the top crimes per capita to membership which I admit is hard to calculate. But anecdotal stories about individual members doing real nasty things doesn’t cut it for me because every gang has its share of psychopaths.

I’d argue that MS13 hasn’t even surpassed 18th street in its prime. MS 13 was like the underdog trying to survive against a much bigger, more organized and dangerous gang(18st) but law enforcement diminished 18 enough along with its other enemies that MS was able to get the spotlight eventually.