What do you think?
Rate this book
MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang
The MS-13 was born from war. In the 1980s, El Salvador was enmeshed in a bloody civil conflict. To escape the guerrilla assaults and death squads, many fled to the US and settled in Los Angeles. Among them were Alex and his brother.
There, as a survival instinct, Alex and a small number of Salvadoran immigrants formed a group called the Mara Salvatrucha Stoners, a relatively harmless social network bound by heavy metal music and their Salvadoran identity. But later, as they brushed against established local gangs, the group took on a harder edge, selling drugs, stealing cars and killing rivals who threatened their territories. As authorities cracked down, gang members like Alex were incarcerated and deported. But in the prison system, the group only grew stronger, and in Central America, the gang multiplied, eventually spreading to a half-dozen nations in two continents.
Today, MS-13 is one of the most infamous street gangs on earth, with an estimated ten thousand members operating in dozens of states and linked to thousands of grisly murders each year in the US and abroad. But it is also misunderstood—less a drug cartel and more a hand-to-mouth organization whose criminal economy is based mostly on small-time extortion schemes and petty drug dealing. Journalist and longtime organized crime investigator Steven Dudley brings readers inside the nefarious group to tell a larger story of how a flawed US and Central American policy, and the exploitative and unequal economic systems helped foster the gang and sustain it. Ultimately, MS-13 is the story of the modern immigrant and the perennial battle to escape a vortex of poverty and crime, as well as the repressive, unequal systems that feed these problems.
There, as a survival instinct, Alex and a small number of Salvadoran immigrants formed a group called the Mara Salvatrucha Stoners, a relatively harmless social network bound by heavy metal music and their Salvadoran identity. But later, as they brushed against established local gangs, the group took on a harder edge, selling drugs, stealing cars and killing rivals who threatened their territories. As authorities cracked down, gang members like Alex were incarcerated and deported. But in the prison system, the group only grew stronger, and in Central America, the gang multiplied, eventually spreading to a half-dozen nations in two continents.
Today, MS-13 is one of the most infamous street gangs on earth, with an estimated ten thousand members operating in dozens of states and linked to thousands of grisly murders each year in the US and abroad. But it is also misunderstood—less a drug cartel and more a hand-to-mouth organization whose criminal economy is based mostly on small-time extortion schemes and petty drug dealing. Journalist and longtime organized crime investigator Steven Dudley brings readers inside the nefarious group to tell a larger story of how a flawed US and Central American policy, and the exploitative and unequal economic systems helped foster the gang and sustain it. Ultimately, MS-13 is the story of the modern immigrant and the perennial battle to escape a vortex of poverty and crime, as well as the repressive, unequal systems that feed these problems.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2020
254 people are currently reading
1119 people want to read
About the author
Steven Dudley
2 books14 followersSteven Dudley was born in 1969 in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, a place another Oak Park-native, Ernest Hemingway, once remarked had "broad lawns and narrow minds." By the time Dudley was growing up, the Republicans had been replaced by Chicago-based mobsters. One of them, Sam "Mooney" Giancana, had a house on the south side, the same place where he was assassinated in 1975. The area's "Big Tuna," Anthony Accardo, had a house in the town next door. Dudley's brothers played football with Accardo's grandchildren; Accardo attended the games wearing a fur coat with bodyguards in tow. Dudley attended Cornell University, far from the Chicago Mafia, where he studied Latin American history. His fascination with evil governments and mobsters eventually led him to Guatemala and later Colombia where he worked in Human Rights. After doing a Master's in Latin American Studies at the University of Texas, Austin, he returned to Colombia where he reported for the Washington Post, the Economist, National Public Radio, the BBC and others, and wrote a book, Walking Ghosts: Murder and Guerrilla Politics in Colombia (Routledge: 2004) on Colombia's war. He later served as the Miami Herald's Bureau Chief in the Andes, and in 2010, he co-founded InSight Crime, a think tank that investigates organized crime in the Americas. He currently lives in Washington DC where he is co-director of InSight Crime and a fellow at American University's Center for Latin American and Latino Studies. He was a Knight Fellow at Stanford University (2007-2008) and a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC (2012-2013). He is also a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and in 2019 he won the Lucas Prize for work-in-progress for his forthcoming book, MS-13: The Making of the World's Most Notorious Gang (HarperCollins: 2020).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
December 5, 2023
3.5 Stars
The MS-13 has been gaining notoriety more and more over the years, so it’s no surprise this book hit shelves in 2020. If you’re looking for a book which gives you an intimate look inside MS-13, I suggest This Is for the Mara Salvatrucha; however, if you are looking for sociological insight into them, then this books delivers.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
The MS-13 has been gaining notoriety more and more over the years, so it’s no surprise this book hit shelves in 2020. If you’re looking for a book which gives you an intimate look inside MS-13, I suggest This Is for the Mara Salvatrucha; however, if you are looking for sociological insight into them, then this books delivers.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
June 9, 2023
Interesting subject, although one that's notoriety is larger than it's real world impact.
The author attempts to tell the human story behind the gang by giving rambling stories of various gang members' lives.
The author attempts to present gang members as the real victims.
However, at no point in this book does he talk to the actual victims of crime at the hands of MS.
The real criminal in this authors telling is America. The author has nothing but scorn for US law enforcement and essentially blames them for MS criminality.
This book is best avoided if you seek an unbiased history of MS.
The author attempts to tell the human story behind the gang by giving rambling stories of various gang members' lives.
The author attempts to present gang members as the real victims.
However, at no point in this book does he talk to the actual victims of crime at the hands of MS.
The real criminal in this authors telling is America. The author has nothing but scorn for US law enforcement and essentially blames them for MS criminality.
This book is best avoided if you seek an unbiased history of MS.
March 2, 2021
I cannot provide enough trigger warnings on this book. It is filled with extreme violence, especially toward women, and depictions of kidnapping, rape, murder, mutilation, torture, and a variety of other horrid crimes. This book needs that warning, because it is intense.
The sheer state of El Salvador, devastated by American imperialism, was shocking to learn about for me as an American. The history of war in El Salvador is discussed extensively, and it's essential to understanding the rise of the notorious gang in question. And as an Angeleno, it's also important to observe just how pivotal the history of Los Angeles is to this story.
The author understands the fact that gangs are complex, and cannot be brought down to one theory. It is this theme – the complexity beyond any one theory – that defines the book. The development of racial hostilities are presented strongly. The ways not only that tensions rose between Latinos and whites, but manifestations of anti-Black racism as well. Gangs often embody tribalism in its strongest form, and the development of organizations like the Mexican Mafia and MS-13 definitely did that.
Deportations of gang members from the United States caused gangs to explode in strength in their home countries, like El Salvador. These gangs would then come back to the United States stronger. Dudley understands this is a difficult situation to deal with, but analyzes it for the facts.
Depictions of gang members and police alike are personal, addressing all involved as human beings. In depicting a gang which became most famous for Donald Trump calling them animals, humanization is a strength of this work, even when there is extreme violence. This is a dark, disturbing book. Even a true crime junkie like myself had a hard time with it. But if you want an authentic study of gang life, this may be the book for you.
The sheer state of El Salvador, devastated by American imperialism, was shocking to learn about for me as an American. The history of war in El Salvador is discussed extensively, and it's essential to understanding the rise of the notorious gang in question. And as an Angeleno, it's also important to observe just how pivotal the history of Los Angeles is to this story.
The author understands the fact that gangs are complex, and cannot be brought down to one theory. It is this theme – the complexity beyond any one theory – that defines the book. The development of racial hostilities are presented strongly. The ways not only that tensions rose between Latinos and whites, but manifestations of anti-Black racism as well. Gangs often embody tribalism in its strongest form, and the development of organizations like the Mexican Mafia and MS-13 definitely did that.
Deportations of gang members from the United States caused gangs to explode in strength in their home countries, like El Salvador. These gangs would then come back to the United States stronger. Dudley understands this is a difficult situation to deal with, but analyzes it for the facts.
Depictions of gang members and police alike are personal, addressing all involved as human beings. In depicting a gang which became most famous for Donald Trump calling them animals, humanization is a strength of this work, even when there is extreme violence. This is a dark, disturbing book. Even a true crime junkie like myself had a hard time with it. But if you want an authentic study of gang life, this may be the book for you.
October 12, 2020
Though interested in learning more about the origins and workings of MS-13, I felt Dudley's book lacked in providing an overall understanding of the gang. It was not an easy book to follow, as he sought to share with us the lives of several members of the gang, but the more the characters intermingled and traveled from El Salavador to the States and back, it became confusing to know who was who.
Perhaps the chaotic nature of the book simply reflects the chaotic nature of the gang itself, as I found myself hurting for these children raised in the midst of unexplainable violence and hate. I did feel that the author seemed to show sympathy for those about whose lives he shared, sometimes glossing over the atrocities they committed along the way. He also did not show adequate appreciation for those who were actually working to make a difference, such as the church and other non-governmental groups. There was also a disdain for US law enforcement that seemed on par with that for the El Salvadorian police. I'm not sure that was completely justified.
While the book gave good insights into the history and workings of MS-13, I found it lacking in overall structure and purpose.
Perhaps the chaotic nature of the book simply reflects the chaotic nature of the gang itself, as I found myself hurting for these children raised in the midst of unexplainable violence and hate. I did feel that the author seemed to show sympathy for those about whose lives he shared, sometimes glossing over the atrocities they committed along the way. He also did not show adequate appreciation for those who were actually working to make a difference, such as the church and other non-governmental groups. There was also a disdain for US law enforcement that seemed on par with that for the El Salvadorian police. I'm not sure that was completely justified.
While the book gave good insights into the history and workings of MS-13, I found it lacking in overall structure and purpose.
June 26, 2020
MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang by Steven Dudley is a heavily researched book about the history of the criminal gang known as MS-13. Dudley chronicles the lives of those within the gang and those with corollary ties to the gang, both by choice and involuntarily.
Dudley provides historical origins of the gang and describes how the gang grew from a group created to foster protection to members to that of a deadly gang unafraid to use extreme means of violence to achieve its goals.
Dudley provides information regarding the development and evolution of MS-13 to such an extent to exceed what is commonly known about the criminal gang as often divulged in the mainstream media. Dudley's narratives involving actual people and individual gang members are among the stronger points in the book.
MS-13 is recommended to those that enjoy historical and well-researched books involving other cultures and societal aspects.
This book was provided by Netgalley for the promise of a fair review.
Dudley provides historical origins of the gang and describes how the gang grew from a group created to foster protection to members to that of a deadly gang unafraid to use extreme means of violence to achieve its goals.
Dudley provides information regarding the development and evolution of MS-13 to such an extent to exceed what is commonly known about the criminal gang as often divulged in the mainstream media. Dudley's narratives involving actual people and individual gang members are among the stronger points in the book.
MS-13 is recommended to those that enjoy historical and well-researched books involving other cultures and societal aspects.
This book was provided by Netgalley for the promise of a fair review.
April 13, 2020
A good, overall view into the world of MS-13. The author does a good job of explaining the gang, it’s formation, and the United State’s unwitting complicity in the expansion of the gang. Our policy of deportation of gang members back to El Salvador leads to the deported members “training “ new members there. Or in forcing the citizens from El Salvador to “sanctuary “ in the United States. Damned if I know what the solution is, it’s a real Catch-22.
The author does an excellent job of humanizing various members of the gang, and letting you see the world through their eyes.
The author does an excellent job of humanizing various members of the gang, and letting you see the world through their eyes.
May 11, 2020
2.5 stars
I was interested in reading this one after I finished Narconomics by Tom Wainwright, hoping to learn more about the MS-13 who were featured prominently in his book. Unfortunately, this just wasn't really what I was looking for. It was certainly well-researched, but it just felt poorly organized. At the beginning of the book were are introduced to "Norman," and it seems like we are going to be primarily following his experience. But then we get a large section focused on El Savadorian history complete with wayyyy too many acronyms, and then we're introduced to about five other people who occasionally pop back in with their own sections.
I appreciated the wide range of perspectives shown, but they were just too hard to keep track of. I almost wish each of their stories had been told in separate chunks at once, instead of all slowly mixed in together.
I just feel like this book was perhaps trying to do too much and, as a result, achieved no clear purpose. The end began to pick up a little bit since, by then, I had mostly gotten a grasp for each of the people we follow, but then it concluded so abruptly that I was just left a little confused.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for provided me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was interested in reading this one after I finished Narconomics by Tom Wainwright, hoping to learn more about the MS-13 who were featured prominently in his book. Unfortunately, this just wasn't really what I was looking for. It was certainly well-researched, but it just felt poorly organized. At the beginning of the book were are introduced to "Norman," and it seems like we are going to be primarily following his experience. But then we get a large section focused on El Savadorian history complete with wayyyy too many acronyms, and then we're introduced to about five other people who occasionally pop back in with their own sections.
I appreciated the wide range of perspectives shown, but they were just too hard to keep track of. I almost wish each of their stories had been told in separate chunks at once, instead of all slowly mixed in together.
I just feel like this book was perhaps trying to do too much and, as a result, achieved no clear purpose. The end began to pick up a little bit since, by then, I had mostly gotten a grasp for each of the people we follow, but then it concluded so abruptly that I was just left a little confused.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for provided me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2021
This book was interesting and included a lot of information about not only the MS13 but Salvadoran politics. My complaint is that the ending is so abrupt, I thought there was something wrong with my digital copy.
April 30, 2022
sometimes the author got so lost in providing context the original purpose was lost.
January 22, 2025
This book takes a dive into the creation of the MS-13 as well as the corrupt systems in place in the U.S. and Central America. The author interviews different members of the gang as well as law enforcement. The corrupt system is what created the MS-13 in LA which then trickled down to Central America through connections and deportations. Some of the stories that victims of the gangs, as well as gang members themselves experienced are brutal. This book mentions rape, brutal murders, abuse, and more.
Some quotes that stuck out to me:
“Most of these UAC (unaccompanied children) came from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. They were fleeing gangs, or reuniting with their parents, or both. They had little to lose. Their countries were buckling under gang and drug related violence, perpetually corrupt governments and impunity, poor schooling, and ineffective health care. The three countries, collectively referred to as the northern triangle, had become the most homicidal region in the world.”
“Like Christian, he was from nowhere and everywhere.”
“If it’s like this in the U.S.” he told his mother later that day (referring to the discrimination he felt) “I wish they just killed me in El Salvador.”
“The monster was Norman, yes, but the monster was also the system that created Norman and the MS-13”
Some quotes that stuck out to me:
“Most of these UAC (unaccompanied children) came from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. They were fleeing gangs, or reuniting with their parents, or both. They had little to lose. Their countries were buckling under gang and drug related violence, perpetually corrupt governments and impunity, poor schooling, and ineffective health care. The three countries, collectively referred to as the northern triangle, had become the most homicidal region in the world.”
“Like Christian, he was from nowhere and everywhere.”
“If it’s like this in the U.S.” he told his mother later that day (referring to the discrimination he felt) “I wish they just killed me in El Salvador.”
“The monster was Norman, yes, but the monster was also the system that created Norman and the MS-13”
February 4, 2021
Steven Dudley did a great job writing this book. It was very informative and statistical. It also did a great job explaining how the formation of the gang began, the expansion. Dudley goes on to explain the deportation processes including under the Trump administration.
The MS-13 is a dangerous gang who use a variety of tactics to instill fear in those who dare to come across their paths, or if they feel in some way disrespected...even if it's their own members. Ms-13 has expanded to many parts of the world. It's really incredible to see the number rise year after year. The focuses on some of the lives of the gang members. How they have to live in fear everyday of possibly getting killed by their own members. A sad reality whenever you join a gang.
El Salvador is full of corruption, racism, violence, poverty, and immigration issues. It's no wonder many seek refuge in other countries, and turn to violence themselves. I can't imagine the level of anxiety the country has always been in.
I believe this book should be used in all Social Sciences classes. Especially those focused on Criminal Justice classes.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The MS-13 is a dangerous gang who use a variety of tactics to instill fear in those who dare to come across their paths, or if they feel in some way disrespected...even if it's their own members. Ms-13 has expanded to many parts of the world. It's really incredible to see the number rise year after year. The focuses on some of the lives of the gang members. How they have to live in fear everyday of possibly getting killed by their own members. A sad reality whenever you join a gang.
El Salvador is full of corruption, racism, violence, poverty, and immigration issues. It's no wonder many seek refuge in other countries, and turn to violence themselves. I can't imagine the level of anxiety the country has always been in.
I believe this book should be used in all Social Sciences classes. Especially those focused on Criminal Justice classes.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2025
"Barrio, or varrio as it is often written, is not just where you live but a mythic notion of home—a safe place where you could be yourself without fear of rejection, long-term recrimination, prejudice or unwarranted repression, where you could speak your language, eat your food and wear your clothes without persecution." —Steven Dudley, MS—13
Hmmm. This was sloppy. I say that having read Everyone Who is Gone is Here first, which comes off as better written and finely researched. I felt compelled to finish reading only because I'm a stickler, and not to find out what happened to the various subjects of this book. Had they been fleshed out in more detail, I'm sure their narrative would have gotten under my skin, as did the subjects in Jonathan Blitzer's book.
Hmmm. This was sloppy. I say that having read Everyone Who is Gone is Here first, which comes off as better written and finely researched. I felt compelled to finish reading only because I'm a stickler, and not to find out what happened to the various subjects of this book. Had they been fleshed out in more detail, I'm sure their narrative would have gotten under my skin, as did the subjects in Jonathan Blitzer's book.
August 1, 2024
Not going to lie, pretty much everything we've collectively heard over the years from the talking heads in media is FAR from the truth about how this gang started, what it is motivated by, and where they are located.
Read. Educate yourself. This is not a 'border problem'. This is not a 'Mexican problem'. This is a USA problem, and it's growing. My hat's off to the author who put himself in harm's way to distill and record so many first person accounts from those who have lived (and died) experiencing this incredibly brutal life. 😳
Read. Educate yourself. This is not a 'border problem'. This is not a 'Mexican problem'. This is a USA problem, and it's growing. My hat's off to the author who put himself in harm's way to distill and record so many first person accounts from those who have lived (and died) experiencing this incredibly brutal life. 😳
August 9, 2023
I read this book because the two rival gangs discussed in this book, MS 13 and Barrio 18, are sadly very active in Honduras. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-...). There are parts that are disturbing and which I skipped. There is also author bias that sometimes comes out (one time he even seemed to contradict himself while trying to stay true to his bias). But other than that, it was an interesting and an informative read.
October 8, 2021
Harrowing Story of MS-13 Gang Member
The story of Norman, age 10 in the 80s, when El Salvador’s wars began. He becomes a member of MS-13 and spends years in prison in the USA and El Salvador. He gets out of prison in the USA and requests deferred deportation because his life would be in danger.
The story of Norman, age 10 in the 80s, when El Salvador’s wars began. He becomes a member of MS-13 and spends years in prison in the USA and El Salvador. He gets out of prison in the USA and requests deferred deportation because his life would be in danger.
April 14, 2021
Broad and informative. At times Dudley seems to struggle with managing the various narratives, timelines and complicating factors related to gangs and El Salvador’s recent history. But he ties it all together to provide some serious insight into something I was completely unaware of.
January 6, 2023
This book was a very approachable and straightforward look at the rise of MS-13 and all the relevant historical context behind it. To keep it from being a dense historical piece, Dudley blends quite a few case studies of current/former gang members throughout the book to keep the reader engaged. While I always appreciate this narrative building effort from authors, I found myself having a hard time keeping track of all the individual stories overtime because there were so many, but the stories themselves served their purpose of exemplifying macro analysis the author made on the effects of these gangs. Overall a super accessible book, extremely well written and researched. 5/5
April 5, 2020
***************************************
TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains violent scenes, both physical and sexual, and should not be read by individuals who might find themselves triggered by vivid descriptions of violence and murder.
This book is NOT for the Faint of Heart. Please exercise caution when reading and if at any time you feel you need to stop reading, I encourage you to put this book down and walk away.
***************************************
MS-13 IS A CRIMINAL GANG. They are well known for their violence and brutality.
Journalist and author Steven Dudley has spent years reporting on gangs, government and violence in Central America. In writing MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang, he has written a comprehensive account as to how MS-13 was formed and how that gang spread from Central America to the United States.
What this book achieved for me was that it dispelled the notion that MS-13 is a strictly structured unit and that there is one singular person at the top and that all other members were co-ordinated and part of a whole. This is simply not true. Each clique of MS-13 essentially acts on its own and sometimes cliques will war with other MS-13 cliques.
What does seem true of almost every MS-13 gang member, who spoke to the Author, is that that person grew up surrounded by violence and chaos, and had joined the gang (at least initially) as a way to protect themselves from outside forces.
President Donald Trump seems woefully misinformed about this gang and in fact gives them more credit than they deserve. By labelling MS-13 as Public Enemy Number One, all the President has done is that he has given potential gang recruits an additional reason for joining the gang. Many (even most) of the current MS-13 gang members living in the United States have fled their war-torn homelands to seek a better way of life. The problem is that when they arrive in the States, they realize that their lives are not much better than the lives they had fled.
MS:13 has been added to the list of Most Dangerous Gang Organizations in the United States.
I believe that anyone who wants to work with gang members on finding a new way of life should view this book as required reading. It is impossible to effect change if the history and dynamics of life as part of an MS-13 mara are not understood.
I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is a fascinating read, but I also need to warn potential readers that the violence and brutality detailed in this book may be triggering for some people.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains violent scenes, both physical and sexual, and should not be read by individuals who might find themselves triggered by vivid descriptions of violence and murder.
This book is NOT for the Faint of Heart. Please exercise caution when reading and if at any time you feel you need to stop reading, I encourage you to put this book down and walk away.
***************************************
MS-13 IS A CRIMINAL GANG. They are well known for their violence and brutality.
Journalist and author Steven Dudley has spent years reporting on gangs, government and violence in Central America. In writing MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang, he has written a comprehensive account as to how MS-13 was formed and how that gang spread from Central America to the United States.
What this book achieved for me was that it dispelled the notion that MS-13 is a strictly structured unit and that there is one singular person at the top and that all other members were co-ordinated and part of a whole. This is simply not true. Each clique of MS-13 essentially acts on its own and sometimes cliques will war with other MS-13 cliques.
What does seem true of almost every MS-13 gang member, who spoke to the Author, is that that person grew up surrounded by violence and chaos, and had joined the gang (at least initially) as a way to protect themselves from outside forces.
President Donald Trump seems woefully misinformed about this gang and in fact gives them more credit than they deserve. By labelling MS-13 as Public Enemy Number One, all the President has done is that he has given potential gang recruits an additional reason for joining the gang. Many (even most) of the current MS-13 gang members living in the United States have fled their war-torn homelands to seek a better way of life. The problem is that when they arrive in the States, they realize that their lives are not much better than the lives they had fled.
MS:13 has been added to the list of Most Dangerous Gang Organizations in the United States.
I believe that anyone who wants to work with gang members on finding a new way of life should view this book as required reading. It is impossible to effect change if the history and dynamics of life as part of an MS-13 mara are not understood.
I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is a fascinating read, but I also need to warn potential readers that the violence and brutality detailed in this book may be triggering for some people.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
April 5, 2020
***************************************
TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains violent scenes, both physical and sexual, and should not be read by individuals who might find themselves triggered by vivid descriptions of violence and murder.
This book is NOT for the Faint of Heart. Please exercise caution when reading and if at any time you feel you need to stop reading, I encourage you to put this book down and walk away.
***************************************
MS-13 IS A CRIMINAL GANG. They are well known for their violence and brutality.
Journalist and author Steven Dudley has spent years reporting on gangs, government and violence in Central America. In writing MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang, he has written a comprehensive account as to how MS-13 was formed and how that gang spread from Central America to the United States.
What this book achieved for me was that it dispelled the notion that MS-13 is a strictly structured unit and that there is one singular person at the top and that all other members were co-ordinated and part of a whole. This is simply not true. Each clique of MS-13 essentially acts on its own and sometimes cliques will war with other MS-13 cliques.
What does seem true of almost every MS-13 gang member, who spoke to the Author, is that that person grew up surrounded by violence and chaos, and had joined the gang (at least initially) as a way to protect themselves from outside forces.
President Donald Trump seems woefully misinformed about this gang and in fact gives them more credit than they deserve. By labelling MS-13 as Public Enemy Number One, all the President has done is that he has given potential gang recruits an additional reason for joining the gang. Many (even most) of the current MS-13 gang members living in the United States have fled their war-torn homelands to seek a better way of life. The problem is that when they arrive in the States, they realize that their lives are not much better than the lives they had fled.
MS:13 has been added to the list of Most Dangerous Gang Organizations in the United States.
I believe that anyone who wants to work with gang members on finding a new way of life should view this book as required reading. It is impossible to effect change if the history and dynamics of life as part of an MS-13 mara are not understood.
I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is a fascinating read, but I also need to warn potential readers that the violence and brutality detailed in this book may be triggering for some people.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains violent scenes, both physical and sexual, and should not be read by individuals who might find themselves triggered by vivid descriptions of violence and murder.
This book is NOT for the Faint of Heart. Please exercise caution when reading and if at any time you feel you need to stop reading, I encourage you to put this book down and walk away.
***************************************
MS-13 IS A CRIMINAL GANG. They are well known for their violence and brutality.
Journalist and author Steven Dudley has spent years reporting on gangs, government and violence in Central America. In writing MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang, he has written a comprehensive account as to how MS-13 was formed and how that gang spread from Central America to the United States.
What this book achieved for me was that it dispelled the notion that MS-13 is a strictly structured unit and that there is one singular person at the top and that all other members were co-ordinated and part of a whole. This is simply not true. Each clique of MS-13 essentially acts on its own and sometimes cliques will war with other MS-13 cliques.
What does seem true of almost every MS-13 gang member, who spoke to the Author, is that that person grew up surrounded by violence and chaos, and had joined the gang (at least initially) as a way to protect themselves from outside forces.
President Donald Trump seems woefully misinformed about this gang and in fact gives them more credit than they deserve. By labelling MS-13 as Public Enemy Number One, all the President has done is that he has given potential gang recruits an additional reason for joining the gang. Many (even most) of the current MS-13 gang members living in the United States have fled their war-torn homelands to seek a better way of life. The problem is that when they arrive in the States, they realize that their lives are not much better than the lives they had fled.
MS:13 has been added to the list of Most Dangerous Gang Organizations in the United States.
I believe that anyone who wants to work with gang members on finding a new way of life should view this book as required reading. It is impossible to effect change if the history and dynamics of life as part of an MS-13 mara are not understood.
I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is a fascinating read, but I also need to warn potential readers that the violence and brutality detailed in this book may be triggering for some people.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
December 22, 2021
I’m not sure why I chose to read MS-13 by Steven Dudley. I guess it was interesting, not riveting or compelling, but interesting to learn a bit about gangs and gang life. As even the author notes this is not a complete history of MS-13 and, I think, he hopes others will continue what he started.
I’d describe the book as a string of stories related by the MS-13 gang and, perhaps, defined by those gang members willing to talk with the author. It reads more as a hodgepodge of excerpts from conversations and court transcripts. I wish the author would have connected the stories and pulled together the dissimilar pieces. If he did, I missed it.
The book starts off with Norman joining the gang but quickly jumps to others like Alex, Christian, or Alma providing the story of each one coming to the US and/or joining MS-13. We get a glimpse of gang life including initiation rituals, decision making and leadership structure, and codes of behavior. When the stories characters enter the legal system, we read of law enforcement policies, legal proceedings, and deportations. Several chapters cover life in prison – both in the US and in El Salvador – and how pores they are.
I found the unintended consequences of Los Angeles’ law enforcement quite interesting, how deporting gang members who entered the US illegally actually helped establish MS-13 in El Salvador. And how the various regions work together with leadership in El Salvador making decisions on killings in the US.
Is MS-13 truly the most notorious gang? I guess, if one defines it has been explicitly named by Trump. And the number of killings cited in the book give credence to Dudley’s title but other gangs are only referenced via their interaction with MS-13. No data supporting the notoriety of MS-13 is explicitly provided.
It’s an interesting read because of the topic but I would structure the book differently to hook the reader and carry them through the book. There’s lots of material on disadvantaged youth, rape, extortion, violence, and politics. A streamlined version made into a movie would sell.
I’d describe the book as a string of stories related by the MS-13 gang and, perhaps, defined by those gang members willing to talk with the author. It reads more as a hodgepodge of excerpts from conversations and court transcripts. I wish the author would have connected the stories and pulled together the dissimilar pieces. If he did, I missed it.
The book starts off with Norman joining the gang but quickly jumps to others like Alex, Christian, or Alma providing the story of each one coming to the US and/or joining MS-13. We get a glimpse of gang life including initiation rituals, decision making and leadership structure, and codes of behavior. When the stories characters enter the legal system, we read of law enforcement policies, legal proceedings, and deportations. Several chapters cover life in prison – both in the US and in El Salvador – and how pores they are.
I found the unintended consequences of Los Angeles’ law enforcement quite interesting, how deporting gang members who entered the US illegally actually helped establish MS-13 in El Salvador. And how the various regions work together with leadership in El Salvador making decisions on killings in the US.
Is MS-13 truly the most notorious gang? I guess, if one defines it has been explicitly named by Trump. And the number of killings cited in the book give credence to Dudley’s title but other gangs are only referenced via their interaction with MS-13. No data supporting the notoriety of MS-13 is explicitly provided.
It’s an interesting read because of the topic but I would structure the book differently to hook the reader and carry them through the book. There’s lots of material on disadvantaged youth, rape, extortion, violence, and politics. A streamlined version made into a movie would sell.
September 8, 2020
Not even going to waste my time going past page one. Immigration being Donald Trumps catchall? seriously yet another liberal idiot trying to further the lies that Obama was soft on Immigration didnt erect the cages they showed photos of.. Just Sad 4 more years of this because the dems can't put up a half competent opponent. BLM they cry and elect the man who fought against Rosa Parks to run against the man who was recieving awards for his contributions to the black community right beside her
September 11, 2020
Well-done book with a challenging objective. Author does well at weaving several stories through a grander narrative. At times, I hoped for more narrative and less individual story-telling, but I could see others liking the mix as it is. Not sure the author's idea mentioned at the beginning - that MS-13 essentially is a gang that still focuses on lower-order crime resonates with the mentions that MS-13 has essentially special tactics units and conspired to rig a national election. Still a very worthwhile read.
December 31, 2020
An MS-13 apologist's anti-American, anti-Trump screed. The author should move to the neighborhoods where MS-13 preys on the immigrant community. Liberal dogma masquerading as social science. I quit about 30 pages in. I couldn't take anymore and couldn't trust that any of it was factual or in context. One of my very few negative reviews
February 13, 2021
(Audiobook) This book does much to demystify the back-story and ground truth about one of the most notorious and publicized gangs in the Western Hemisphere. The evolution of MS-13 is also the story of two countries (El Salvador and the United States) and how the actions of those two countries combined to help create the gang. The civil war of the 1980s drove many El Salvadorians to America, who found themselves in difficult lives, facing discrimination and few opportunities. Marginalized, gangs started to rise, pulling mostly teenagers. It was in LA that MS-13 originated, but it did not start out called MS-13. They only that formal moniker due to their run-ins with the Mexican mafia in LA jails is the early 1990s.
However, MS-13 did not start infiltrating life in El Salvador until the 1990s, when US anti-immigration laws deported many of these gang members back to their homeland. Unfortunately, El Salvador was still a ruined country from the civil war, poor infrastructure and economy and various natural disasters. The gangs carried over their habits from LA to El Salvador, as well as the rivalries (MS-13 and the 18th street gang are blood rivals, started back in the late 1980s in LA). Eventually, the gangs came to control the streets, but the government thought it could borrow the American solution and lock up the gang members with a tough law enforcement crackdown.
Unfortunately, this only strengthened the gangs, and in prison, they consolidated their power in El Salvador. The politicians had to deal with them, usually with little lasting success. Also, various Salvadorian refugees and emigres had to deal with MS-13 in America, from LA to TX to NY and the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia). They engaged in violence and their murders made headlines. Yet, while the gangs have much sway in El Salvador, they are not quite like the Mexican cartels or the older Colombian gangs. They don't have the economic power and are not engaging in the drug and human trafficking of those organizations.
While violent and having a significant impact in the lives of El Salvadorians, Dudley does well to cut through the political rhetoric and mythology surrounding the gang. His interviews with various members offers a glimpse into how and why they got involved, what they faced, and how, for some, they try to get out. The politics and xenophobia of America does not help the situation, and like the books on the Colombian and Mexican cartels, this saga does not paint America in the best of lights. He might be a tad too sympathetic to the gang members, but he offers the best analysis and insight into the gang I have seen to date.
While it is not always uplifting or hopeful to read, this is a must-read for anyone who wants an understanding of MS-13 is and isn't. The audiobook is solid and rates as highly as the e-copy/hard-copy. Very much worth the time to read/listen.
However, MS-13 did not start infiltrating life in El Salvador until the 1990s, when US anti-immigration laws deported many of these gang members back to their homeland. Unfortunately, El Salvador was still a ruined country from the civil war, poor infrastructure and economy and various natural disasters. The gangs carried over their habits from LA to El Salvador, as well as the rivalries (MS-13 and the 18th street gang are blood rivals, started back in the late 1980s in LA). Eventually, the gangs came to control the streets, but the government thought it could borrow the American solution and lock up the gang members with a tough law enforcement crackdown.
Unfortunately, this only strengthened the gangs, and in prison, they consolidated their power in El Salvador. The politicians had to deal with them, usually with little lasting success. Also, various Salvadorian refugees and emigres had to deal with MS-13 in America, from LA to TX to NY and the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia). They engaged in violence and their murders made headlines. Yet, while the gangs have much sway in El Salvador, they are not quite like the Mexican cartels or the older Colombian gangs. They don't have the economic power and are not engaging in the drug and human trafficking of those organizations.
While violent and having a significant impact in the lives of El Salvadorians, Dudley does well to cut through the political rhetoric and mythology surrounding the gang. His interviews with various members offers a glimpse into how and why they got involved, what they faced, and how, for some, they try to get out. The politics and xenophobia of America does not help the situation, and like the books on the Colombian and Mexican cartels, this saga does not paint America in the best of lights. He might be a tad too sympathetic to the gang members, but he offers the best analysis and insight into the gang I have seen to date.
While it is not always uplifting or hopeful to read, this is a must-read for anyone who wants an understanding of MS-13 is and isn't. The audiobook is solid and rates as highly as the e-copy/hard-copy. Very much worth the time to read/listen.
September 26, 2025
Sweeping Look at the Salvadoran-U.S. Relationship from the 1970s-2010s and the Inception and Impact of MS-13 (With a Surprisingly Apologist Take On the Gang Itself)
This is one of a handful of books that I'm reading to try to "get smart" on El Salvador, and it's probably the most comprehensive and topical one I've come across so far. It was written recently (though before the institution of the "State of Exception" in March 2022, which would make for an interesting addendum to the book), and it does a good job of piecing together the history of Salvadoran-U.S. relations from the 1970s through the beginning of the Trump Administration. Though it primarily focuses on the MS-13 (obviously), it closely examines a variety of other related topics influencing the developing relationship including policing, the Cold War, economics, and mass incarceration. At the moment, if someone were looking for just one book to place the Salvadoran-U.S. relationship in context, I'd recommend this book.
*Brief Synopsis: Dudley uses the decades-long stories of a few (pseudonymous) MS-13 gang members across decades (along with various historical/political/economic tangents) to chart the story of U.S. involvement in El Salvador (including its backing of the right-leaning military government during the Cold War); the ups and downs of gang prosecution, mass incarceration, and deportations in the U.S.; and (of course) the rise of MS-13 from the neighborhoods of Los Angeles to spread across the entire U.S. and (via deportation) to neighborhoods across El Salvador.
*Key Takeaways:
-From the get-go, I found it interesting to understand the MS-13 naming conventions. Mara Salvatrucha-13 basically boils down to "a tenacious anthill-like army adopting a Salvadoran insurgent legacy, operating under the umbrella of the Mexican Mafia"
-Whereas I've read other books about corrupt police being in bed with the gangs (e.g. "The Beast", about Mexico), it seems that the Salvadoran police share a deep-seated revulsion for the gangs that operate in their country. This theme emerges and re-emerges throughout history/the book.
-On U.S.-Salvadoran ties: "No other country has resettled in the US at the same rate relative to its population than El Salvador... around a quarter of El Salvador's population moved to the United States (during the 1980s civil war) ... about 1 in every 5 Salvadoran-born people still live in the US." (The civil war exodus was) "El Salvador's version of the Irish Potato Famine. As much as 25 percent of the country... fled during the decade-long war, most of them to the US." ... "The US is at once repressor and liberator."
-Insights on the Crime/Deportation Cycle: Mass displacement from Central America (1980s civil war in the context of the Cold War), law enforcement crackdowns on Latino neighborhoods in the U.S., convict deportations, Salvadoran institutions adopting mass incarceration in response to rising crime, consolidated gang power within the prison system, increased violence in Central America, mass displacement to the U.S. again...
-On the reason why so many turn to MS-13 in underserved U.S. immigrant communities: "Ongoing migration created a permanent underclass."
-"Gang life is... huge spates of downtime, followed by small spurts of extreme violence and mayhem."
-On Gang Power within Salvadoran Prisons: To limit murders and gang wars behind bars, gang members are segregated by affiliation--pretty interesting! Behind bars, "they controlled prostitution and internal prison sex rings,... (and) organized mass protests." "The mara used the drug money to buy mattresses, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, and other items for those who were not getting any visitors, had no family or whose family was too far away to travel and see them. In short, the prison community was becoming the strongest mara community of them all." Only reading things like this did I begin to understand how gang power structures could still function from behind bars.
-"Large Catholic families... were once the backbone of the (Salvadoran) labor force. As rural landholdings grew smaller, large families had extra hands and he same number of hungry mouths. Those extra hands drifted to the big cities, or to the United States or to the gang. (Children of these families were), in this way, collateral damage of a cultural and economic transition, an old Salvadoran way of life colliding with a new Salvadoran reality."
-The book hits the idea hard that that it's really difficult to leave the gang, with some claiming that there's no such thing as an "ex-MS-13" and others saying that "many (who try to leave) remain in the middle--'fifty-fifty.'"
-On the Pervasiveness of Gang Impact on El Salvador: "The gangs had spread to nearly every corner of the country. They were the reason behind every large line item in the security budget. They impacted business, religious organizations, educational facilities and transport systems." Later chapters describe how guiding one's steps to tiptoe around gang territory became part of the daily and hourly calculus for residents of gang-controlled neighborhoods.
-On the Cycle of Violence Within Gangs: "The clique issued a green light (to murder a gang member), and anyone who saw (them) had an obligation to kill them. Failure to do so would also result in repercussions and set off yet another chain of retribution. This was the gang in miniature--spiderwebs of violence spinning from the paranoid eggshell egos of men."
-Cold War Context: In El Salvador, the conflict basically boiled down to two sides: low-class workers, leftist/Marxist guerillas, and an increasingly activist Catholic Church vs. Salvadoran landowning elites, right-leaning military dictators, and the U.S. (holding the line against Marxism). Most chillingly, the U.S. moved to increase its military assistance to the country immediately after the Massacre at El Mozote. "Throughout, the US stood by the government."
*MS-13 Apologist: One of the strangest things about this book, I thought, was that Dudley came across as an MS-13 apologist. Right out the gate, he highlights the Trump Administration's fearmongering about the gang but basically makes the claim that they're not all that dangerous. Then he goes on to paint a picture of maras as violent killers, yes, but kind of bumbling & undisciplined & mindless ones. I get that he wants the focus to land on the imperialist and systematic pressures that created conditions for MS-13's rise, but his light handling of the gang's crimes is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. Examples of his rhetoric on this score include:
-"They will stop biting us when we stop treating them like dogs."
-"MS-13 members were, to put it simply, not good criminals. With their distinct tattoos and peculiar style of dress, they were highly visible. They lacked discipline, and their internal codes pushed them into public confrontations with other gangs that could lead to their capture and force them into cooperating with law enforcement."
-"Many feared the MS-13 were developing into a powerful transnational criminal organization. But the MS-13's efforts were just as haphazard and chaotic as always." (This just pages after descriptions of casual, brutal murders. Tough to reconcile."
-"Decades of hard-line policing. Self-serving US foreign policies, and the support of predatory local elites and a savage military apparatus. The creation of a neo-colonial state, and the double standards that open doors to capital and close them for labor. Inadequate schools and social services. Mass incarceration where rape is tolerated. Mass deportation from a country that increasingly criminalizes migrants and refugees alike. ... The monster is also the system that created the MS-13."
Again, if you're only going to read one book to try to wrap your head around modern El Salvador and its relationship with the U.S., I'd recommend this one.
This is one of a handful of books that I'm reading to try to "get smart" on El Salvador, and it's probably the most comprehensive and topical one I've come across so far. It was written recently (though before the institution of the "State of Exception" in March 2022, which would make for an interesting addendum to the book), and it does a good job of piecing together the history of Salvadoran-U.S. relations from the 1970s through the beginning of the Trump Administration. Though it primarily focuses on the MS-13 (obviously), it closely examines a variety of other related topics influencing the developing relationship including policing, the Cold War, economics, and mass incarceration. At the moment, if someone were looking for just one book to place the Salvadoran-U.S. relationship in context, I'd recommend this book.
*Brief Synopsis: Dudley uses the decades-long stories of a few (pseudonymous) MS-13 gang members across decades (along with various historical/political/economic tangents) to chart the story of U.S. involvement in El Salvador (including its backing of the right-leaning military government during the Cold War); the ups and downs of gang prosecution, mass incarceration, and deportations in the U.S.; and (of course) the rise of MS-13 from the neighborhoods of Los Angeles to spread across the entire U.S. and (via deportation) to neighborhoods across El Salvador.
*Key Takeaways:
-From the get-go, I found it interesting to understand the MS-13 naming conventions. Mara Salvatrucha-13 basically boils down to "a tenacious anthill-like army adopting a Salvadoran insurgent legacy, operating under the umbrella of the Mexican Mafia"
-Whereas I've read other books about corrupt police being in bed with the gangs (e.g. "The Beast", about Mexico), it seems that the Salvadoran police share a deep-seated revulsion for the gangs that operate in their country. This theme emerges and re-emerges throughout history/the book.
-On U.S.-Salvadoran ties: "No other country has resettled in the US at the same rate relative to its population than El Salvador... around a quarter of El Salvador's population moved to the United States (during the 1980s civil war) ... about 1 in every 5 Salvadoran-born people still live in the US." (The civil war exodus was) "El Salvador's version of the Irish Potato Famine. As much as 25 percent of the country... fled during the decade-long war, most of them to the US." ... "The US is at once repressor and liberator."
-Insights on the Crime/Deportation Cycle: Mass displacement from Central America (1980s civil war in the context of the Cold War), law enforcement crackdowns on Latino neighborhoods in the U.S., convict deportations, Salvadoran institutions adopting mass incarceration in response to rising crime, consolidated gang power within the prison system, increased violence in Central America, mass displacement to the U.S. again...
-On the reason why so many turn to MS-13 in underserved U.S. immigrant communities: "Ongoing migration created a permanent underclass."
-"Gang life is... huge spates of downtime, followed by small spurts of extreme violence and mayhem."
-On Gang Power within Salvadoran Prisons: To limit murders and gang wars behind bars, gang members are segregated by affiliation--pretty interesting! Behind bars, "they controlled prostitution and internal prison sex rings,... (and) organized mass protests." "The mara used the drug money to buy mattresses, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, and other items for those who were not getting any visitors, had no family or whose family was too far away to travel and see them. In short, the prison community was becoming the strongest mara community of them all." Only reading things like this did I begin to understand how gang power structures could still function from behind bars.
-"Large Catholic families... were once the backbone of the (Salvadoran) labor force. As rural landholdings grew smaller, large families had extra hands and he same number of hungry mouths. Those extra hands drifted to the big cities, or to the United States or to the gang. (Children of these families were), in this way, collateral damage of a cultural and economic transition, an old Salvadoran way of life colliding with a new Salvadoran reality."
-The book hits the idea hard that that it's really difficult to leave the gang, with some claiming that there's no such thing as an "ex-MS-13" and others saying that "many (who try to leave) remain in the middle--'fifty-fifty.'"
-On the Pervasiveness of Gang Impact on El Salvador: "The gangs had spread to nearly every corner of the country. They were the reason behind every large line item in the security budget. They impacted business, religious organizations, educational facilities and transport systems." Later chapters describe how guiding one's steps to tiptoe around gang territory became part of the daily and hourly calculus for residents of gang-controlled neighborhoods.
-On the Cycle of Violence Within Gangs: "The clique issued a green light (to murder a gang member), and anyone who saw (them) had an obligation to kill them. Failure to do so would also result in repercussions and set off yet another chain of retribution. This was the gang in miniature--spiderwebs of violence spinning from the paranoid eggshell egos of men."
-Cold War Context: In El Salvador, the conflict basically boiled down to two sides: low-class workers, leftist/Marxist guerillas, and an increasingly activist Catholic Church vs. Salvadoran landowning elites, right-leaning military dictators, and the U.S. (holding the line against Marxism). Most chillingly, the U.S. moved to increase its military assistance to the country immediately after the Massacre at El Mozote. "Throughout, the US stood by the government."
*MS-13 Apologist: One of the strangest things about this book, I thought, was that Dudley came across as an MS-13 apologist. Right out the gate, he highlights the Trump Administration's fearmongering about the gang but basically makes the claim that they're not all that dangerous. Then he goes on to paint a picture of maras as violent killers, yes, but kind of bumbling & undisciplined & mindless ones. I get that he wants the focus to land on the imperialist and systematic pressures that created conditions for MS-13's rise, but his light handling of the gang's crimes is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. Examples of his rhetoric on this score include:
-"They will stop biting us when we stop treating them like dogs."
-"MS-13 members were, to put it simply, not good criminals. With their distinct tattoos and peculiar style of dress, they were highly visible. They lacked discipline, and their internal codes pushed them into public confrontations with other gangs that could lead to their capture and force them into cooperating with law enforcement."
-"Many feared the MS-13 were developing into a powerful transnational criminal organization. But the MS-13's efforts were just as haphazard and chaotic as always." (This just pages after descriptions of casual, brutal murders. Tough to reconcile."
-"Decades of hard-line policing. Self-serving US foreign policies, and the support of predatory local elites and a savage military apparatus. The creation of a neo-colonial state, and the double standards that open doors to capital and close them for labor. Inadequate schools and social services. Mass incarceration where rape is tolerated. Mass deportation from a country that increasingly criminalizes migrants and refugees alike. ... The monster is also the system that created the MS-13."
Again, if you're only going to read one book to try to wrap your head around modern El Salvador and its relationship with the U.S., I'd recommend this one.
April 5, 2020
***************************************
TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains violent scenes, both physical and sexual, and should not be read by individuals who might find themselves triggered by vivid descriptions of violence and murder.
This book is NOT for the Faint of Heart. Please exercise caution when reading and if at any time you feel you need to stop reading, I encourage you to put this book down and walk away.
***************************************
MS-13 IS A CRIMINAL GANG. They are well known for their violence and brutality.
Journalist and author Steven Dudley has spent years reporting on gangs, government and violence in Central America. In writing MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang, he has written a comprehensive account as to how MS-13 was formed and how that gang spread from Central America to the United States.
What this book achieved for me was that it dispelled the notion that MS-13 is a strictly structured unit and that there is one singular person at the top and that all other members were co-ordinated and part of a whole. This is simply not true. Each clique of MS-13 essentially acts on its own and sometimes cliques will war with other MS-13 cliques.
What does seem true of almost every MS-13 gang member, who spoke to the Author, is that that person grew up surrounded by violence and chaos, and had joined the gang (at least initially) as a way to protect themselves from outside forces.
President Donald Trump seems woefully misinformed about this gang and in fact gives them more credit than they deserve. By labelling MS-13 as Public Enemy Number One, all the President has done is that he has given potential gang recruits an additional reason for joining the gang. Many (even most) of the current MS-13 gang members living in the United States have fled their war-torn homelands to seek a better way of life. The problem is that when they arrive in the States, they realize that their lives are not much better than the lives they had fled.
MS:13 has been added to the list of Most Dangerous Gang Organizations in the United States.
I believe that anyone who wants to work with gang members on finding a new way of life should view this book as required reading. It is impossible to effect change if the history and dynamics of life as part of an MS-13 mara are not understood.
I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is a fascinating read, but I also need to warn potential readers that the violence and brutality detailed in this book may be triggering for some people.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains violent scenes, both physical and sexual, and should not be read by individuals who might find themselves triggered by vivid descriptions of violence and murder.
This book is NOT for the Faint of Heart. Please exercise caution when reading and if at any time you feel you need to stop reading, I encourage you to put this book down and walk away.
***************************************
MS-13 IS A CRIMINAL GANG. They are well known for their violence and brutality.
Journalist and author Steven Dudley has spent years reporting on gangs, government and violence in Central America. In writing MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang, he has written a comprehensive account as to how MS-13 was formed and how that gang spread from Central America to the United States.
What this book achieved for me was that it dispelled the notion that MS-13 is a strictly structured unit and that there is one singular person at the top and that all other members were co-ordinated and part of a whole. This is simply not true. Each clique of MS-13 essentially acts on its own and sometimes cliques will war with other MS-13 cliques.
What does seem true of almost every MS-13 gang member, who spoke to the Author, is that that person grew up surrounded by violence and chaos, and had joined the gang (at least initially) as a way to protect themselves from outside forces.
President Donald Trump seems woefully misinformed about this gang and in fact gives them more credit than they deserve. By labelling MS-13 as Public Enemy Number One, all the President has done is that he has given potential gang recruits an additional reason for joining the gang. Many (even most) of the current MS-13 gang members living in the United States have fled their war-torn homelands to seek a better way of life. The problem is that when they arrive in the States, they realize that their lives are not much better than the lives they had fled.
MS:13 has been added to the list of Most Dangerous Gang Organizations in the United States.
I believe that anyone who wants to work with gang members on finding a new way of life should view this book as required reading. It is impossible to effect change if the history and dynamics of life as part of an MS-13 mara are not understood.
I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is a fascinating read, but I also need to warn potential readers that the violence and brutality detailed in this book may be triggering for some people.
*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***
October 19, 2020
Steven Dudley follows the lives of handful of MS-13 members to tell the story of how the gang came into being, in the United States and in El Salvador. The protagonists in his story are victims of circumstances, from a lonely teenager in Los Angeles to a young girl is raped by her step-grandfather in El Salvador. And in environments that offer few opportunities, these young people are attracted to join a gang, whether MS-13, Eighteenth Street or others. The gang becomes their family, their identity. And gangs that succeed in remaining so (like MS-13) do so by reinforcing this identity through tattoos and requiring gang members to do petty crimes or commit violence as a show of loyalty that makes leaving the gang impossible. Joining the street gang is a road that many young people take, without fully realizing that there is no turning back.
The author also draws a distinction between organized crime syndicates (say, drug mafias) and street gangs like MS-13. Street gangs may be more violent than crime syndicates, yet they are not organized in a strictly hierarchical fashion or a have a clear objective like generating wealth. He brings out this distinction because the US prosecutes gangs with the same legal framework that exists for organized crime.
If there is one big idea in this book, it is that that the US's neocolonial policies in El Salvador and the law-enforcement approach taken inside the US (not just with street gangs, but broadly in poor minority communities) created the MS-13, and it is the US alone that can bring it to an end to gangs and rehabilitate former gang members. To do so, he describes the civil war in El Salvador that started in the late 70s, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, how the El Salvadorian army took teenage boys from villages, how others joined the rebels, the disappearance of peace and the shrinking of opportunity, that drove hundreds of thousands of people to migrate to the US, where they ended competing with other poor minority communities (Black and Latino) for meager opportunities - an environment that led some among the El Salvadorians to organize themselves into a gang like the MS-13. The author talks about how jails do not reform, but actually help gang members organize (alas, this part is no different than the story of ISIS in Jordan's jails) and how by deporting gang members from US to El Salvador, the US just created gangs in El Salvador. And amidst all this, there are those who want to leave the gang, forget about it as a terrible mistake they made when they were young, but there is no out. Just a dead end.
The author also draws a distinction between organized crime syndicates (say, drug mafias) and street gangs like MS-13. Street gangs may be more violent than crime syndicates, yet they are not organized in a strictly hierarchical fashion or a have a clear objective like generating wealth. He brings out this distinction because the US prosecutes gangs with the same legal framework that exists for organized crime.
If there is one big idea in this book, it is that that the US's neocolonial policies in El Salvador and the law-enforcement approach taken inside the US (not just with street gangs, but broadly in poor minority communities) created the MS-13, and it is the US alone that can bring it to an end to gangs and rehabilitate former gang members. To do so, he describes the civil war in El Salvador that started in the late 70s, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, how the El Salvadorian army took teenage boys from villages, how others joined the rebels, the disappearance of peace and the shrinking of opportunity, that drove hundreds of thousands of people to migrate to the US, where they ended competing with other poor minority communities (Black and Latino) for meager opportunities - an environment that led some among the El Salvadorians to organize themselves into a gang like the MS-13. The author talks about how jails do not reform, but actually help gang members organize (alas, this part is no different than the story of ISIS in Jordan's jails) and how by deporting gang members from US to El Salvador, the US just created gangs in El Salvador. And amidst all this, there are those who want to leave the gang, forget about it as a terrible mistake they made when they were young, but there is no out. Just a dead end.
June 29, 2020
Dudley’s investigative chronology of the South American gang known as The Mara Salvatrucha, or by their other monica MS-13. Mara means “gang” and Salvatrucha stands for Salvador. The number thirteen is for the M; the thirteenth letter of the alphabet. Although some claim that it is because “13” was included to honor the Mexican Mafia (the most influential prison gang in all of CA) which sought to broker peace between the gangs MS-13 and 18th for economic reasons. MS-13’s members are reported to exist in 33 States. A grand achievement considering their inauspicious beginnings in Los Angeles. It is claimed that their current numbers are in excess of three-quarters of a million members. Know primarily for their extreme violence and their primacy within the correctional institutions of the US; their origins were according to Dudley to be far less sinister. Dudley’s account of the tomato gangs (so called because they would throw tomatoes at each other) quickly descended into extortion, drug dealing and murder. Any reluctance to abandon their ’honor’ quickly evaporated as the promise of enormous wealth from drug sales supplanted it.
I have to admit to harboring conflicting feelings about the book. I felt very enthusiastic to receive a copy for review and couldn’t wait to begin reading it. Immediately I began questioning my wisdom. At first it appeared that the author was acting an apologist for the criminal activities of the central characters, Norman, and Alex Sanchez. Then later when Dudley seemed to repeated express sympathy for the victim-hood of the characters.
As the book progressed the tone changed and the author seemed to become more skeptical and less sympathetic as the murders, gang rapes, and violent assaults increased.
Dudley did manifest through his writing style the sense of unity and camaraderie shared by the informal social party group that MS-13 seemed to be. The gang was as much a social club than it was an organization like the Cosa Nostra.
I found the narratives constant transition between the United States and El Salvador left one feeling disorientated and confused. This combined with a plethora of minor players many of whom are known only by aliases only added to the scale of the confusion. There is a lack of structure and because of this there is an inability to keep track of characters, let alone empathize with them at any level. Ultimately, the breadth and scale were too board for easy navigation.
I have to admit to harboring conflicting feelings about the book. I felt very enthusiastic to receive a copy for review and couldn’t wait to begin reading it. Immediately I began questioning my wisdom. At first it appeared that the author was acting an apologist for the criminal activities of the central characters, Norman, and Alex Sanchez. Then later when Dudley seemed to repeated express sympathy for the victim-hood of the characters.
As the book progressed the tone changed and the author seemed to become more skeptical and less sympathetic as the murders, gang rapes, and violent assaults increased.
Dudley did manifest through his writing style the sense of unity and camaraderie shared by the informal social party group that MS-13 seemed to be. The gang was as much a social club than it was an organization like the Cosa Nostra.
I found the narratives constant transition between the United States and El Salvador left one feeling disorientated and confused. This combined with a plethora of minor players many of whom are known only by aliases only added to the scale of the confusion. There is a lack of structure and because of this there is an inability to keep track of characters, let alone empathize with them at any level. Ultimately, the breadth and scale were too board for easy navigation.
June 14, 2020
To start, thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was so really looking forward to reading this book. Who wouldn't want to read an in-depth history of one of the most violent street gangs in the world. But... I liked and disliked this book. I liked it as it was really informative and I learned a lot of things I never would have found out on my own but I found the book really difficult to follow sometimes. I liked meeting the new characters; Norman, Alex Sanchez etc. but the book jumped around so much that I lost track of who was who and where I was, El Salvador or America.
I also found that I was getting confused with all the different political factions, the FLMN, the guerillas, who was who and who was good or bad, even that changed frequently. I got mixed up with all the different MS-13 groups and all of their in-fighting.
I'm really glad I was given the opportunity to read this book, it opened my eyes to the horrific poverty, corruption, violence, prison system, immigration issues, and racism that was so prevalent for Salvadorans. One part that really stood out while reading is the unrelenting racism that Salvadorans experienced from other Latino populations. Instead of embracing one another they were singled out which drove them deeper into the gangs arms as well as poverty and the prison system. It was also mind blowing that there really was no monetary gain from being a part of MS-13 they were too disorganized and so much in-fighting that they couldn't get their act together well enough to benefit financially. So they just basically killed each other and other people and that's about that. So sad.
I definitely do recommend for other people to read this book as it's eye opening and we should all be aware of the hardships of other countries and their people.
I was so really looking forward to reading this book. Who wouldn't want to read an in-depth history of one of the most violent street gangs in the world. But... I liked and disliked this book. I liked it as it was really informative and I learned a lot of things I never would have found out on my own but I found the book really difficult to follow sometimes. I liked meeting the new characters; Norman, Alex Sanchez etc. but the book jumped around so much that I lost track of who was who and where I was, El Salvador or America.
I also found that I was getting confused with all the different political factions, the FLMN, the guerillas, who was who and who was good or bad, even that changed frequently. I got mixed up with all the different MS-13 groups and all of their in-fighting.
I'm really glad I was given the opportunity to read this book, it opened my eyes to the horrific poverty, corruption, violence, prison system, immigration issues, and racism that was so prevalent for Salvadorans. One part that really stood out while reading is the unrelenting racism that Salvadorans experienced from other Latino populations. Instead of embracing one another they were singled out which drove them deeper into the gangs arms as well as poverty and the prison system. It was also mind blowing that there really was no monetary gain from being a part of MS-13 they were too disorganized and so much in-fighting that they couldn't get their act together well enough to benefit financially. So they just basically killed each other and other people and that's about that. So sad.
I definitely do recommend for other people to read this book as it's eye opening and we should all be aware of the hardships of other countries and their people.
March 23, 2021
This book by Steven Dudley is basically a mishmash of some of the history behind MS-13, some personal details from the lives of a handful of MS-13 gang members, and a large dose of preachy progressive posturing blaming law enforcement and the U.S. government for the existence of the gang. It is often difficult to keep track of what is going on in this disorganized mess, because Dudley jumps around from people to events to political points and back again in a fairly random, nonsequential fashion. This is often a literary approach that works, but somehow in this case it just makes this book hard to follow, and I lost track of who the gang members were when they were reintroduced at various stages of the book, possibly because they were so similar to each other.
I am not sure what the purpose for writing this book was. It is somewhat informative in that it relates how the gang started, but I don't think it is an in-depth account of the gang. The civil war in El Salvador is introduced, but only in a very limited fashion. If the introduction of actual gang members and their criminal behavior in this book is intended to evoke sympathy because they came from large dysfunctional families and a corrupt culture, it didn't work for me. And the usual progressive "we are all victims and blameless for our actions" story line indicting society and government for the gang's vicious behavior worked even less on my sensibility. It's tantamount to blaming the physician for causing the disease he or she is trying to cure.
So this book describes how MS-13 originated, and gives us some examples of actual gang member criminal behavior. Other than that, the best thing about this book is that it doesn't take very long to read.
I am not sure what the purpose for writing this book was. It is somewhat informative in that it relates how the gang started, but I don't think it is an in-depth account of the gang. The civil war in El Salvador is introduced, but only in a very limited fashion. If the introduction of actual gang members and their criminal behavior in this book is intended to evoke sympathy because they came from large dysfunctional families and a corrupt culture, it didn't work for me. And the usual progressive "we are all victims and blameless for our actions" story line indicting society and government for the gang's vicious behavior worked even less on my sensibility. It's tantamount to blaming the physician for causing the disease he or she is trying to cure.
So this book describes how MS-13 originated, and gives us some examples of actual gang member criminal behavior. Other than that, the best thing about this book is that it doesn't take very long to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews