Latino/CA gangs in the US 

Central American gangs are increasingly described in the media and by governmental and nongovernmental agencies as a “transnational” phenomenon.  But hard information is limited; misinformation, exaggerations, and sensationalist language and images of Central American gangs are pervasive.  The Transnational Network for the Study of Gangs, housed at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico, was formed to study the similarities and differences of the maras (gangs) that have emerged in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, some parts of Mexico, and in some parts of the United States.  The Network also advocates for more effective government policies. WOLA participates in the Network, and has conducted research on Central American gangs in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

WOLA’s study, “Central American Gangs in the Washington D.C. area,” released in February 2007, concludes that Central American gangs are highly variable in their levels of sophistication and organization and that these gangs are not a generalized public security threat in the Washington, D.C. area.  These gangs are a security threat in particular hotspots, and the problem should be addressed to protect the largely Latino communities that are affected by Central American (and other) gang violence.  The study also identifies successful, community-based best practices that could be replicated, both in the United States and in Central America.