Additionally,
the FBI is in the process of establishing a
National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) and
has established the MS-13 National Gang Task
Force (NGTF).
The
NGIC will enable the FBI and its local, state,
and federal partners to centralize and coordinate
the national collection of intelligence on gangs
in the U.S., and then analyze, share, and disseminate
this intelligence with law enforcement authorities
throughout the country. The NGIC will give local,
state and federal investigators and intelligence
analysts the opportunity and mechanism to share
their collective information and intelligence
on gangs. This will enable gang investigators
and analysts to identify links between gangs
and gang investigations, to further identify
gangs and gang members, to learn the full scope
of their criminal activities and enterprises,
to determine which gangs pose the greatest threat
to the U.S., to identify trends in gang activity
and migration, and to guide them in coordinating
their investigations and prosecutions to disrupt
and dismantle gangs. The NGIC will be an essential
part of our efforts to combat and dismantle
gangs and will enhance the existing liaison
and coordination efforts of federal, state,
and local agencies.
We
also note the significant contribution of the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) in the effort to combat violent gangs.
For example, during FYs 2001, 2002, and 2003
ATF investigated over 2,200 cases involving
violent gangs. Due to ATF's comprehensive efforts
to identify and investigate illegal firearms
traffickers, career criminals, armed narcotics
traffickers, and other violent offenders who
use firearms to further their criminal endeavors,
ATF has for years been at the forefront of the
federal government's efforts to combat violent
crime involving gangs. ATF's expertise in this
regard is grounded not only in investigations
of traditional street gangs, but also in large-scale
investigations of other organized groups (e.g.
outlaw motorcycle gangs) that are involved in
violent criminal activities. ATF also provides
outreach and training programs designed to encourage
youth to resist joining gangs.
One
of the gangs being addressed by the FBI and
its law enforcement partners under the National
Gang Strategy is the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
MS-13 is a violent gang comprised primarily
of Central American immigrants which originated
in Los Angeles and has now spread across the
country. MS-13 gang members are primarily from
El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, who initially
established a presence in Los Angeles, California,
in the 1980s. In 1993, three MS-13 gang members
from Los Angeles, California, moved to the Northern
Virginia and Washington, DC, metropolitan area
to recruit additional MS-13 members. Current
reporting now estimates there are as many as
1500 members of MS-13 in the Northern Virginia/DC
area.
Based
upon the National Gang Threat Assessment conducted
by the National Alliance of Gang Investigators
Association, MS-13 members and associates now
have a presence in more than 31 states and the
District of Columbia. MS-13 has a significant
presence in Northern Virginia, New York, California,
Texas, as well as in places as disparate and
widespread as Oregon City, Oregon, and Omaha,
Nebraska. Due to the lack of a national database
and standard reporting criteria for the identification
of gang members, the frequent use of aliases
by gang members, and the transient nature of
gang members, the actual number of MS-13 members
in the United States is difficult to determine.
However, the National Drug Intelligence Center
estimates there to be between 8,000 and 10,000
hardcore members in MS-13.
Based
upon available intelligence obtained through
our law enforcement partners, it appears that
the MS-13 in the United States is still a loosely
structured street gang; however, its threat
is based on its violence and its potential to
grow, not only geographically, but in its organization
and sophistication. Gang members affiliate themselves
into groups known as cliques. Each clique will
have a local leader called the "shot caller."
There is no evidence to support the existence
of a single leader or governing authority which
is directing the daily activity of all MS-13
cliques in the United States. However, there
is some evidence of an increased level of sophistication
and some indications of a hierarchy of leadership.
This is based in part on reports of multi-clique
meetings in which gang members pay a fee to
attend, coordinate their activities, exchange
information regarding law enforcement actions
and efforts, and issue punishment and/or sanctions
for infractions of the gang's code. Cliques
throughout the country often follow the lead
of the Los Angeles-based cliques, and there
are reports of Los Angeles based members traveling
throughout the United States for the purpose
of recruiting new members, establishing new
cliques, and taking over existing Latino gangs,
and instilling discipline through violence and
intimidation.
Law
enforcement in 28 states have reported MS-13
members are engaged in retail drug trafficking,
primarily trafficking in powdered cocaine, crack
cocaine, and marijuana, and, to a lesser extent,
in methamphetamine and heroin. The drug proceeds
are then laundered through seemingly legitimate
businesses in those communities. MS-13 members
are also involved in a variety of other types
of criminal activity, including rape, murder,
extortion, auto theft, alien smuggling, and
robbery.
Given
the extreme violence exhibited by MS-13 and
its potential threat, based on the historical
precedent of other similar gangs and organized
criminal organizations, the FBI established
the MS-13 National Gang Task Force to disrupt
and dismantle this gang, now, before it has
the opportunity to become more organized and
sophisticated and more difficult to attack.
The goals of the MS-13 National Gang Task Force
are to enable local, state, and federal, as
well as international law enforcement agencies,
to easily exchange information on MS-13; to
enable local and state law enforcement agencies
to identify the presence of MS-13 in their territories;
to identify related investigations; and to coordinate
regional and/or nationwide, multi-jurisdictional
law enforcement action, including federal Racketeering
(RICO) and Violent Crimes in Aide of Racketeering
(VICAR) prosecutions.
To
date, the MS-13 National Gang Task Force has
initiated extensive outreach efforts to inform
local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies
of the establishment of the task force, through
the direction of Safe Streets Violent Gang Task
Forces, the initiation of the National Gang
Intelligence Center, and during a recent multi-agency
MS-13 national strategy conference held in Dallas,
Texas. At this time, the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA), Customs and Border Protection, ATF, Bureau
of Prisons (BOP), and the Department of State
(DOS) have committed to support the Task Force
with personnel, intelligence, expertise and
jurisdiction. These federal agencies will comprise
the core group of the national task force. We
are already working with other agencies to coordinate
investigative operations. In addition, non-resident
members of the task force include the Department
of Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering
Section, the United States Attorney's Office
for the Central District of California (Los
Angeles), the Department of Defense and the
Intelligence Community.
Extensive
contact has also been made with the law enforcement
community in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador,
by both the MS-13 task force leadership and
our Office of International Operations, in order
to share intelligence and begin a coordinated
effort to address MS-13 street gangs both nationally
and internationally. The FBI and other federal
agencies recently attended the first International
Gang Conference held in San Salvador, El Salvador,
where the FBI succeeded in gaining the support
of El Salvador's cooperation and participation
in joint, international efforts against MS-13.
At present, the FBI has one Legal Attaché
in Panama that provides coverage to this region.
Efforts are currently underway to establish
a resident FBI presence in El Salvador.
As
an example of the MS-13 National Gang Task Force
coordination efforts, in early February 2005,
the FBI, Customs and Border Patrol, Texas Department
of Public Safety, and the East Hidalgo Detention
Center worked together to arrest a key MS-13
figure. This individual is alleged to have been
involved in a bus massacre that took place in
Honduras on December 23, 2004, wherein a total
of 28 people were assassinated, including 6
children. Fourteen other individuals were seriously
wounded. A note left at the scene indicated
the massacre was in retaliation against laws
targeting gang members in Honduras, and MS-13
members were identified as being responsible
for the attack.
Although
there have been recent media reports alleging
that MS-13 gang members have met with an al-Qa'ida
operative in Honduras and that al-Qa'ida financed
a MS-13 gang summit, there is no credible, independent
reporting to support or otherwise corroborate
these reports. Current analysis also supports
the assessment that it is unlikely that MS-13
and al-Qa'ida would form an overt partnership
for both security and ideological reasons.
According
to reliable sources, the reason for the gang
summit meeting in Honduras was to discuss international
leadership issues within the group. There was
no indication that this meeting was financed
or attended by any outside organization.
Despite
this initial assessment, the FBI continues to
remain alert for any possible connections between
MS-13, and any other gang or criminal enterprise,
with Al Qa'ida. The FBI is well aware of at
least one example of state-sponsored terrorists
working with a U.S. street gang. In 1986, members
of the El Rukin street gang in Chicago plotted
with Libyan leader Mu' ammar al-Qadhafi to perpetrate
terrorist acts against the U.S. in exchange
for money. Qadhafi, however, is a notably secular
Muslim leader who forged alliances with many
groups, and he is opposed by al-Qa'ida-affiliated
groups.
Once
again, I appreciate the opportunity to come
before you today and share the work that the
FBI is doing to address the problem posed by
gangs in this country, including MS-13 and other
Latin American or Hispanic gangs. The FBI will
continue its efforts, and we will keep this
Committee informed of our progress in protecting
this nation's citizens against gangs and other
criminal enterprises, particularly those with
national and international implications.
Mr.
Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank
you for your time and for your continued support
of the FBI's efforts to combat gangs. I am happy
to answer any questions.