Study: MS-13 Gang Members Going To College (VIDEO)
KRGVTV : September 8th 2006

Link:
http://www.newschannel5.tv/2006/9/8/28425/-Study--MS-13-Gang-Members-Going-To-College--

Summary:
Professor Susan Ritter, Chair of the University of Texas’ Criminology Department, recently delivered a seminar culminating 9 months of research she conducted. Some of the findings revealed by this cursory news broadcast are that MS-13 is now in all 50 states. Additionally, MS-13 members are attending college, and forgoing tattooing so that they can “blend in”, and expand into “white collar” type crimes. She also compares MS-13s development to that of “American Mafia” of the early 1900s.

Analysis:
I must preface any analysis of this very brief video news report by stating, I have not had the opportunity to review Professor Ritter’s full findings. So, there probably are many key details that I don’t have. Having said that, there are already colleges for criminals, they are called prisons. I find the idea of MS-13 members going to college, to perhaps study accounting, so that they could embezzle money a bit of a stretch. Did the Sicilian Mafia ever pursue higher education? This could be a minor point that the TV news reporter picked out because it sounded interesting. I think to arrive at this conclusion; you would have to count many wannabe MS-13 members, who just want to look tough, as bona fide members. I personally have known several Salvadorans in the Washington D.C. area who identified themselves as “Salvatucha” liked to wear blue and white, or had MS screensavers, who were not criminals, and in college or the military. They used the outward indicators of MS-13 as more of an ethnic or nationalistic identification. I think if you narrowly defined what an MS-13 member was, you wouldn’t find many that were interested in going to college. Besides, if there is any guiding, top down, MS-13 leadership, culture, or organization, it seems to be emanating from El Salvador itself, where the bulk of the membership is located. Specifically, it seems to be most organized in the prisons such as Quetzaltepeque, Ciudad Barrios, and part of Zacatecoluca, A.K.A. Zacatraz.

I do agree that MS-13 is spreading geographically and developing organizationally, so that one day it will be within the organized crime realm. I also agree that MS-13 members have learned that tattooing is good way of alerting law enforcement to your gang affiliations. In fact, in El Salvador, gang tattoos can get you arrested on the spot. So, there is an incentive not to get tattoos.