MS-13 Members Arrested: 263 Gang-Related Men And Women Cuffed, 158 Belonging To Transnational Criminal Gang

MS-13 member arrested: 263 in total have been cuffed in a huge sweep by authorities of one of the most known gangs in the U.S. and other countries.

It was a nationwide sweep of the MS-13 members arrested Friday with 263 total, spanning from July to August. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced the numbers on Friday at a press conference.

Of the 263 arrested 158 members and associated of MS-13 were among them as well the remaining 105 belonging to other guys.

Authorities arrested 84 non-gang members wanted on criminal charges and 14 people on immigration violations as part of the same sweep, according to the federal agency.

MS-13 is a transnational criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles and has spread to other parts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America.

"Operations like these are especially rewarding for the men and women of HSI as they know firsthand that they're playing a critical role in community safety," HSI Executive Associate Director James Dinkins told IB Times.

In October 2012 US Treasury Department announced a freeze on American-owned assets controlled by the organization and listed MS-13 as a Transnational Criminal Organization.

Members of MS distinguish themselves by tattoos covering the body and also often the face, as well as the use of their own sign language. They are notorious for their use of violence and a subcultural moral code that predominantly consists of merciless revenge and cruel retributions. This cruelty of the distinguished members of the "Maras" or "Mareros" earned them a path to be recruited by the Sinaloa Cartel battling against Los Zetas in an ongoing drug war south of the United States border.