FBI: Gangs Continue To Grow And Are Responsible For Up To 80% Of U.S. Crime

USA Today reports that according to a gang threat assessment compiled by federal officials criminal gangs in the USA have swelled to an estimated 1 million members responsible for up to 80% of crimes in communities across the nation. The report by the Justice Department's National Gang Intelligence Center concludes gangs are the "primary retail-level distributors of most illicit drugs" and several are "capable" of competing with major U.S.-based Mexican drug-trafficking organizations. Furthermore, the gang population estimate is up 200,000 since 2005. The report says about 900,000 gang members live "within local communities across the country," and about 147,000 are in U.S. prisons or jails.

USA Today further reports that "one group that continues to spread despite law enforcement efforts is the violent Salvadoran gang known as MS-13. Michael Sullivan, the departing director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, says the gang's dependence on shocking violence to advance extortion, prostitution and other criminal enterprises has frustrated attempts to infiltrate and disrupt the insular group's activities." Sullivan says that "MS-13's foothold in the U.S. is expanding" and that the street gang is in 42 states, up from 33 in 2005. "Enforcement efforts have been effective to a certain extent, but they (gang members) keep moving," he says.

Tweet