Gangs Indicia 1

MS-13

(Mara Salvatrucha 13) means “gang of street tough or shrewd Salvadorans.” Formed in the 1980’s in L.A. and has since spread across the United States. They began as refugees of the Salvadoran civil war and fl­ed to the U.S. The refugees included militant Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front trained in guerilla warfare. Originally the gang’s main purpose was for protection from other L.A. based street gangs, particularly Mexican and African-American gangs. MS-13 is now one of the largest transnational gangs in the world and they have a heavy presence in the DMV area. Their colors are blue and white, representing the El Salvador national flag.

8800 Crush Mob

8800 Crush Mob (88) was formed around the neighborhood of the 8800 block of Piney Branch Road in Montgomery County. The group has been criminally active within the county for well over 10 years.

18th Street

The 18th Street gang started in the 1960’s in L.A. The gang gets its name from the street in L.A. where original members lived. The 18th Street gang was formulated after original members were denied membership into the Clanton Street, another L.A. based gang. Clanton Street members denied entry to anyone who could not prove 100% Mexican ancestry. It was formed in L.A. as a result of prejudice on the part of Mexican street gang members against mixed-race Mexicans and non-Mexicans. The 18th Street gang grew enormously because it broke the racial barrier by accepting largely immigrant youths and those of mixed racial backgrounds. Like MS-13, they have a heavy presence in the DMV area. Their colors are primarily brown and black.