MS-13 and Barrio 18 are the biggest gangs and they both originated in California. Their reputation for extreme violence predated their rise in El Salvador.

These gangs literally originated from California. The war sent them to California and gang violence forced them to form their own gangs to protect themselves. Yes, the US made them hardened in the methods of organized crime.

When they were deported they brought their lifestyle back to a land of unemployed violent men, which allowed them to continue under a new banner.

To be fair, these gangs date back to American interference in the Salvadoran war and subsequent deportation of the criminals hardened in the US from gang their gang violence.

American drug demand and weapon supply is absolutely a contribution. The war that the US supported and abandoned us after is absolutely a contribution.

That said, they’re gone and we’re having to clean this up for ourselves. They’re as human as the Nazi’s to most Salvadorans: only technically. It’s us or them at this point.

This isn’t heavy policing, this is a nornal war.

The Salvadoran people suffer for generations and nobody extends a hand. As soon as they fight to defend themselves from these monsters, people show up thinking anyone is gonna care about their opinion.

There have been too many victims to expect a soft handed response to the gangs. If any nation wants to take them to their own prisons, they’ve already been told they’re free to do so.