AJC
March 4, 2010

Officials say arrests mark major victory against violent street gang

MS-13, short for Mara Salvatrucha, has been present in the Atlanta area for nearly a decade. The gang’s activities picked up in 2005, officials said.

Most MS-13 members come from Central American nations such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — many illegally, authorities said. MS-13’s founding members were immigrants who fled Central America’s civil wars for inner-city Los Angeles during the 1980s.

“In one case, Yates said, an MS-13 member approached a group of children playing basketball and asked, “What gang are you a part of?” The gang member opened fire, wounding a 14-year-old in the back.”
HERE