The Most Dangerous Gang In The Nation Revealed

06/12/2017 05:14 pm EDT

The United States has a long history of bloodshed and segregation, which has led to the creation of some of the most deadly gangs in the world, with each member willing to go to great lengths to look out for each other. Data shows that MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, has become the most deadly gang in the country, with FBI estimating their numbers to be as large as 10,000 across 46 states.

The gang sprung up in Los Angeles in the '80s and '90s and aimed to protect the Salvadoran community from neighboring African-American and Mexican gangs. MS-13 takes their name from the peasants who fought in the country's civil war around that time, as many of them sought refuge in Los Angeles.

Throughout the '80s, the gang began to permeate other Central American gangs throughout the United States, often getting involved in sex and drug trafficking, with some members having direct connections to the Mexican cartels.

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Earlier this year, the bodies of four men, ranging from 16 to 20 years of age, were found in a Long Island park, having been beaten with bats and attacked with machetes.

"This was one of the largest and most brutal mass murders committed in Suffolk County's history," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini revealed in a testimony to the Senate, with the murders having ties to gang activity. It is believed that within Suffolk County, there are nearly 400 active members of MS-13, who also operate out of Brooklyn and Queens.

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In addition to rival gangs operating in the area, the Guardian Angels also operate, an organization made up of volunteers who aim to prevent violent crimes by using non-violent methods.

"MS-13 is unlike any street gang that we have dealt with before," said Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa. "They are organized and behave like a paramilitary organization. And the violence is incredibly brutal."

The discovery of the four dead men is only the most recent violent crime in the area, as two teenaged girls were beaten to death nearby after an ambush involving MS-13 members, which happened less than a year ago.

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