Car Theft Fuels Gang Violence and International Terrorism… Still
Published: July 20th, 2007
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According to the San Jose Mercury News, Sergio Giron is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, a member of the Mara Salvatrucha street gang (a.k.a. MS-13) and a convicted felon. Having served a 346-day sentence for assault with a deadly weapon after shooting a gang defector (charges since dropped), Giron awaits deportation hearings. To pay for an immigration lawyer, Giron’s fellow gang members began stealing cars and chopping them for parts. The admission illustrates the direct link between car theft and organized crime and, as this report from The Boston Globe points out, international terrorism. It's high time the states stepped-up their cooperation with federal authorities in this area.
More by Robert Farago
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Is there any municipality that takes car theft and car break-ins seriously? They are considered essentially victim-less crimes, it takes multiple convictions to get any jail time (!), and virtually all municipalities charge law abiding citizens for the towing and storage of (if they are lucky) recovered stolen vehicles. You always get more of an activity if you reward it. At this time, car theft is only marginally illegal.
So, does the "MS-13" name come from the fact that "Mara Salvatrucha" contains an "M", an "S", and thirteen additional letters? Sort of like how nerds abbreviate "internationalization" as "i18n"?
Cliff G., I agree. I would personally like to see this sort of crime punished and deterred, and greatly reduce illegal drug incarceration, starting with at least, Marijuana.