Crime: In a nationwide crackdown, the government has successfully dismantled and disrupted the notorious MS-13 gang, prosecuting approximately 749 members.
Defendant: MS-13 gang members (no names mentioned)
City, State: Throughout the United States
Date: 2016-2020
Sentence: More than 500 MS-13 gang members have been convicted, including 37 who received life sentences.
Prosecutors from the National Security Division, the Criminal Division, and 10 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have been assigned full-time to Joint Task Force Vulcan to investigate, charge, and arrest MS-13 members responsible for heinous crimes.
The joint task force has increased coordination and collaboration with international law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, and has prioritized prosecutions against MS-13 cliques and leaders.
The data also show that MS-13 has exploited weaknesses in border enforcement policies, with approximately 74 percent of the defendants prosecuted being unlawfully present in the United States.
Combating MS-13 has been a top priority for the government, with President Trump issuing Executive Order 13773 in 2017 to develop and execute a comprehensive approach to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations like MS-13.
On October 15, 2018, Attorney General Sessions created the Transnational Organized Crime Task Force to focus on the disruption and dismantlement of TCOs like MS-13.
On August 16, 2019, Attorney General Barr created Joint Task Force Vulcan to coordinate and lead the efforts of the government and U.S. law enforcement agencies against MS-13 to eradicate the group.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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