"A searing, trenchant investigation into the alluring and tragic world of
twenty-first-century organized crime." - DAVID D. DANELO, author of The Border
"This is war reporting from America's urban underworld. Logan's examination of
the MS-13 through the eyes of its foot soldiers is authoritative, and scary." -
ANDY WEBB-VIDAL, CEO, Latin-IQ
"As [Logan] exposes the tragic life-and-death story of Brenda Paz, he escorts us
into the world of the MS-13 and all their wicked, butchering violence that America
is only now becoming aware of."
- JAY DOBYNS, author of No Angel
"[A] groundbreaking case study. The inner workings and social context of MS-13 are
presented in a gripping, dynamic, and readable narrative." - JOHN P. SULLIVAN,
senior research fellow, Center for Advanced Studies on Terrorism, and originator of
third-generation gang theory
In THIS IS FOR THE MARA SALVATRUCHA: Inside the MS-13, America's Most Violent Gang
(Hyperion; July 7, 2009; hardcover; $24.99) investigative journalist Samuel Logan
offers the first English-language profile of a group the FBI calls "the fastest
growing and most violent gang in the country." Formed by Salvadoran immigrants on
the rough streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s, the Mara Salvatrucha - or MS-13 - has
now grown to more than 60,000 members worldwide. The FBI has created a special task
force to curb its expansion, something it has never done before, even for
high-profile gangs like the Bloods, the Crips, and the Mexican Mafia. Despite such
efforts, though, the MS-13 continues to grow, seeping deeper into the neighborhoods
of America and bringing with it violence, extortion, fear, and crime.
THIS IS FOR THE MARA SALVATRUCHA follows the tragic story of one MS-13 member, a
charismatic Honduran-American teenager named Brenda Paz. Brenda became a "jumped
in" member of the gang at age fifteen, lured by the camaraderie of members and the
excitement of street life. She witnessed and helped to commit many crimes, and was
arrested at sixteen in connection with a robbery. Eager to escape the brutality she
had begun to encounter so regularly, Brenda began sharing her knowledge of the gang
with authorities. Her inside accounts of the MS-13's most violent acts, private
traditions, and secret symbols were thorough and invaluable to officials. But the
Mara Salvatrucha has rules, and despite being in the FBI's Witness Protection
Program, Brenda was found dead within a year.
While other reporters have focused on the horrifying circumstances of Brenda's
murder - she was 17, pregnant, and killed by her boyfriend - Logan provides an
in-depth portrait of this fascinating young woman and her life in the gang. He
interviewed all the key players in Brenda's last years of life, including her
loving family, fellow MS-13 members, the law enforcement officers and lawyers who
tried to help Brenda escape the gang, and the families of the victims of the gang's
violence. The result is a compelling and frightening narrative that delves deeper
into the MS-13 than any book has before and offers a potent warning against the
seductions and dangers of gang life.
Beyond illuminating Brenda's story, Logan also sheds light on important issues for
America's growing Latino population, touching on effects of immigration,
deportation, and the daily realities of at-risk and underserved youths in the
immigrant community. He can speak to:
1. United States Immigration policy in recent years, particularly the effects of
aggressive deportation
2. The appeal of the gang lifestyle and how we can help at-risk youths escape the
temptation
3. The structure of the MS-13 and the threat it poses in this country and others
4. Drug and arms trafficking and associated violence on the U.S.-Mexico border
5. Law enforcement efforts to contain and prevent gang activity
6. How and why Hispanic street gangs have grown into international crime
organizations
7. The immigrant experience in this country and ways in which our police and
justice systems serve and disserve immigrants
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Samuel Logan is an investigative reporter based in Latin America.
For the past five years, he has reported on gang activity across the United States,
Mexico, and Central America. Mr. Logan's work has attracted the attention of
private intelligence companies, the Inter-American Dialogue, Booz Allen Hamilton,
the National Security Agency, the Eurasia Group, the RAND corporation, Control Risks
Group, the European Security Institute, Kroll, the International Crisis Group,
agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, analysts with U.S. Southern
Command, the Cambridge Energy Research Associates, the Federation of American
Scientists, and other organizations that maintain open channels of dialogue with him
about all matters pertaining to security in Latin America and how it affects
security in the United States.
THIS IS FOR THE MARA SALVATRUCHA:
Inside the MS-13, America's Most Violent Gang
By Samuel Logan
Published by Hyperion
Publication Date: July 7, 2009
Price: $24.99; Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4013-2324-0
Contact Details: For further information about THIS IS FOR THE MARA
SALVATRUCHA, please contact
Lauren Hodapp, 917-661-2053, lauren.hodapp@abc.com
Access press materials electronically at www.hyperionmedianet.com
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