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What is MS-13? And why did Sessions talk about it in Philly?

The international gang has been making headlines across the country recently, but not in Philadelphia.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions addresses the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, at the Convention Center, in Philadelphia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer
Attorney General Jeff Sessions addresses the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, at the Convention Center, in Philadelphia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff PhotographerRead moreJessica Griffin

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, speaking Monday at a major police conference in Philadelphia, vowed to "dismantle" the international criminal gang MS-13. He has spoken frequently about the organization since taking office this year — but what is it, and does it have a local foothold?

What is MS-13?

It's a violent criminal gang that started in Los Angeles in the 1980s and has strong ties to Central American countries, including El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, according to InsightCrime, a foundation that studies organized crime in Latin America. The foundation's website said MS-13 members "rob, extort and bully their way into neighborhoods and have gradually turned to transnational crimes such as human smuggling and drug trafficking. Their activities have helped make the Northern Triangle — Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras — the most violent place in the world that is not at war."

Why is MS-13 relevant in the United States?

A 2008 FBI assessment estimated that MS-13 had as many as 10,000 members operating in 42 states. And police officials across the country have said recently that the gang has been operating in increasingly public and violent ways.

On Long Island, for example, officials believe the gang is responsible for at least 21 deaths since 2016. And in Maryland, prosecutors in a county outside Washington said in October that 10 murders over the last two years could be tied to MS-13.

What is law enforcement doing about it?

President Trump and Sessions have taken aim at MS-13 since taking office this year. Trump gave a controversial address about the gang on Long Island in July that may have been overshadowed by his off-the-cuff remarks that police officers shouldn't be afraid to be "rough" with criminal suspects. Sessions has given several speeches about MS-13, including in El Salvador, on Long Island, and in Philadelphia on Monday.

"The MS-13 motto is kill, rape and control," Sessions said on Long Island in April, according to the New York Times. "Our motto is justice for victims and consequences for criminals. That's how simple it is. Prosecute them, and after they've been convicted, if they're not here lawfully, they're going to be deported."

Is MS-13 active in Philadelphia?

Local police leaders don't believe so. Philadelphia has never had a significant presence of hierarchical, national gangs, and commanders haven't seen a change recently, even as MS-13 makes headlines elsewhere.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross said after Sessions' speech Monday that local crews were responsible for most of the violence in the city. Homicide Capt. John Ryan said Monday that gangs like MS-13 "don't seem to operate in Philadelphia."

"We get mostly these localized" disputes that lead to violence, Ryan said.

Inspector Ray Convery, who leads the East Detective Division, long plagued by gun violence, echoed that sentiment over the summer: "There's no big don that runs the whole area down here. It's all individual corners."

So why did Sessions speak about MS-13 in Philadelphia?

His remarks were delivered at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, one of the largest law enforcement events in the world, with as many as 14,000 estimated attendees. Given Sessions' focus on trying to attack the gang and reduce its impact, the conference — and the audience — provided a natural forum for him to address a topic he has made a priority.