[20070111]RS22141_中美洲帮派.pdf

Order Code RS22141Updated January 11, 2007Gangs in Central AmericaClare M. RibandoAnalyst in Latin American AffairsForeign Affairs, Defense, and Trade DivisionSummaryThe 110th Congress is likely to continue to be concerned about the effects of crimeand gang violence in Central America, and its spillover effects on the United States.Since February 2005, U.S. officials have arrested more than 1,274 members of theviolent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, raising concerns about the transnationalactivities of Central American gangs. Governments throughout the region are strugglingto find the right combination of suppressive and preventive policies to deal effectivelywith the gang problem. Many analysts predict that illicit gang activities will accelerateillegal immigration, drug smuggling, and trafficking in persons and weapons to theUnited States. Some maintain that tough law enforcement approaches will help solve thegang problem, while others assert that unless the root causes of gang violence poverty, joblessness, ineffective judicial systems, easy access to arms, and the socialexclusion of at-risk youth are addressed in a holistic way, the problem will continueto escalate. This report