Trial over brutal killings sheds light on MS-13 and power of US street gangs

Members of the MS-13 gang in prison in El Salvador, where MS-13 has its roots. US authorities actually have scant information about gangs’ range and effect. Photograph: Yuri Cortéz/AFP/Getty Images

The mythology of the street gang is rooted in American popular culture, from West Side Story to The Warriors to Training Day.

But a recent trial in the seemingly endless suburban landscape of Long Island, New York, has thrown a spotlight on the harsh reality of gang activity, and the circumstances in which it flourishes. In particular, one of the most brutal organizations at work in the US: Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.