Gangs and Crime in America: Organized Crime, Combating Central American Gangs, Latin Kings, Jamaican Posse, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13),18th Street, Hell's Angels, Los Zetas, El Salvador and Guatemala

These excellent reports have been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. Contents include: CRS Issue Statement on Organized Crime and Gangs in the U.S. * Combating Gangs: Federal Agencies Have Implemented a Central American Gang Strategy, but Could Strengthen Oversight and Measurement of Efforts * Los Zetas and MS-13: Nontraditional Alliances.

In recent years, there has been an increase in violence directed at Americans and American economic interests from other organized criminal elements—many with transnational connections—such as drug trafficking organizations, gangs, and criminal syndicates. Drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are a domestic criminal threat and a significant concern to federal, state, and local law enforcement. Mexican DTOs smuggle and distribute 90% of all illegal drugs entering the United States. They have become increasingly violent as they compete to extend their influence in U.S. drug markets. DTOs have used their vast resources to expand southward into Central and South America and northward into the United States, where they have reportedly penetrated at least 195 U.S. cities. There have been reports that Mexican and Asian DTOs continue to develop and strengthen their working relationships with many street gangs and prison gangs, some of which have extensive transnational relationships and are engaged in numerous cross-border smuggling operations of drugs, illegal aliens, and firearms, and numerous other crimes, including human trafficking. There continues to be interest in the increase of violence at or near the border with Mexico, along with the numerous criminal activities ranging from drug and contraband smuggling to human trafficking. A number of street and prison gangs work closely with Mexican DTOs and drug cartels, including the Surenos 13, 18th Street, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), the Mexican Mafia in California, the Texas Mexican Mafia (Mexikanemi), Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos, and the Texas Syndicate in the south Texas area. A number of regional and national gangs, including Asian gangs, are also reported to have transnational connections and be criminally active along the U.S.-Canada border. Growing gang involvement in smuggling operations has long been a concern as a potential domestic security threat.