Threat Assessment
FBI MS-13 Threat Assessment
DOJ/FBI : January 14th 2008
Link:
www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/ms13_011408.html
Summary and Analysis:
"MS-13 operates in at least 42 states and the District of Columbia and has about 6,000-10,000 members nationwide."
This is a change from 2005 assessments, which reported MS-13 to be in about 31 states, with from 8,000 to 10,000 members. The difference in the numbers is likely a result of actual growth within in the gang, increased law enforcement awareness, and also changes in the methodology of how individual gang membership is accounted. For example, in past assessments they might have counted anyone who was arrested and claimed to be in MS-13. In this assessment, they might have counted those arrested and claimed to be in MS-13, and could be associated with a known clique. Anyway, the wide range of the assessed number makes me think that law enforcement really doesn’t have a great way of assessing their membership numbers, and rightly so. MS-13 doesn’t issue membership cards! In fact, they aren’t really an organization, which transitions nicely into the next part of the assessment.
"Right now, MS-13 has no official national leadership structure."
As yet undefined, emergent intelligence and stigmergic theories aside, MS-13 has no national leadership or organization. I would go so far as to say that they have no definitive organization at all. Law enforcement often describes them as being organized into cliques. However, I think this isn’t what defines them, because all humanity is organized into cliques, or cultural sub-units. I think the culture of their cliques is what defines them.
"MS-13 is growing at a moderate rate."
If you look at the geographic growth between the 2005 and 2008 assessments, 11 new sates were added. At this rate MS-13 will be in all 50 states within three years. This could slow with the collapse of the new home market, as many of the construction jobs are filled by Mexicans and Central Americans. In the past, the gangs have migrated and spread with these populations.
There is actually quite a bit of information at the link. A quick review is recommended for anyone with a serious interest in this subject.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/ms13_011408.html
DOJ/FBI : January 14th 2008
Link:
www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/ms13_011408.html
Summary and Analysis:
"MS-13 operates in at least 42 states and the District of Columbia and has about 6,000-10,000 members nationwide."
This is a change from 2005 assessments, which reported MS-13 to be in about 31 states, with from 8,000 to 10,000 members. The difference in the numbers is likely a result of actual growth within in the gang, increased law enforcement awareness, and also changes in the methodology of how individual gang membership is accounted. For example, in past assessments they might have counted anyone who was arrested and claimed to be in MS-13. In this assessment, they might have counted those arrested and claimed to be in MS-13, and could be associated with a known clique. Anyway, the wide range of the assessed number makes me think that law enforcement really doesn’t have a great way of assessing their membership numbers, and rightly so. MS-13 doesn’t issue membership cards! In fact, they aren’t really an organization, which transitions nicely into the next part of the assessment.
"Right now, MS-13 has no official national leadership structure."
As yet undefined, emergent intelligence and stigmergic theories aside, MS-13 has no national leadership or organization. I would go so far as to say that they have no definitive organization at all. Law enforcement often describes them as being organized into cliques. However, I think this isn’t what defines them, because all humanity is organized into cliques, or cultural sub-units. I think the culture of their cliques is what defines them.
"MS-13 is growing at a moderate rate."
If you look at the geographic growth between the 2005 and 2008 assessments, 11 new sates were added. At this rate MS-13 will be in all 50 states within three years. This could slow with the collapse of the new home market, as many of the construction jobs are filled by Mexicans and Central Americans. In the past, the gangs have migrated and spread with these populations.
There is actually quite a bit of information at the link. A quick review is recommended for anyone with a serious interest in this subject.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/ms13_011408.html
Thanks for posting this and for having this site at all. Best resource on the web about this gang. (For a research paper.)
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