Samuel Logan - This Is for the Mara Salvatrucha: Inside the MS-13, Americas Most Violent Gang

Carrollton, Texas, is a town with an identity and a

Brenda Paz had only been in Texas a few months

Women interested in joining Vetos gang had two options. In

Smile now, cry later. Brenda learned the saying as she

The city of Grand Prairie was unaccustomed to violent murder.

Early in the afternoon, two days after Christmas, a local

Detective Rick Oseguera of the Major Crimes Unit had just

By the end of the first week of 2002, Oseguera

Osegueras murder investigation languished for another week until he got

Osegueras arrest warrant for Brenda Paz sat in police stations

Oseguera returned to the station, resigned to actively pursue Brenda

Like a good gangster, Brenda had remained tough and collected

Denis Riveras youthful, handsome features and smooth, light brown skin

Fairfax and Arlington counties, the city of Alexandria, and the

On a hazy summer day in mid-June, only days after

Rodriguez sat Denis in the interrogation room and left him

When Brenda left Texas, she knew she would probably never

In the span of minutes, Gregs case went from boring

Brenda had seen so much death, pain, and suffering. Still,

Brendas continued separation from the gang reduced her craving for

Full of confidence, Brenda was happy about being the center

It was a hot day in mid-July, but Rick Rodriguez

Addicted to the freedom shed experienced while living on the

It was late on a Sunday. Greg was tired, and

The more Brenda talked, the more her notoriety grew. There

The FBI is a law enforcement organization with a long

The most remarkable interview Brenda gave occurred days later in

The interview lasted for nearly two hours. Brenda was open

The embattled emancipation process continued until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving,

When Greg transferred Brenda to FBI custody, he was no

Just under six months after she was arrested in Arlington,

Brenda Paz sat on a bench by the wall, chatting

Greg was wrong: Brenda was safe. Even if local MS

Brenda called her friends from the Centrales Locos Salvatrucha clique,

On one of his routine visits to Brendas apartment not

Alexander arrived at the safe house with his partner and

Days passed packed with tension, worry, and frustration. Then she

When Brenda called Greg from a pay phone outside a

Greg came to a screeching stop in front of the

Brendas new future would begin with orientation meetings, lectures, rules,

Over the following days and weeks, Brendas life completely changed.

Greg heard from Brenda just as spring broke in northern

Brenda wasnt back in Kansas long before the unthinkable happened.

Hormones coursed through Brenda, out of control. Three months into

With little interaction in her immediate surroundings, Brenda thought through

Once the cops were on to Deniss plans for escape,

As events unfolded in Virginia, Brenda remained in her own

In early June, Brenda called Greg. He was long overdue

The day Brenda left witness protection, Greg was in St. Petersburg,

News of Brendas decision to leave witness protection was delayed.

Do you know the situation with Paz? Filosofo asked.

Sabrosa woke up the next morning to catch a glimpse

Brendas body was not discovered for three days. Like Javier

When Diablito, Panteras little brother, agreed to testify, the lead

C arrollton, Texas, is a town with an identity and a presence normally not felt in the United States. It is a place where people use the sidewalks despite the weather and Americas love for cars. There are always plenty of people waiting at the bus stops. Advertisements often read in Spanish, a constant reminder of the first language spoken by the people most likely to read them. Middle-aged men loiter around convenience stores, looking for work and avoiding the police.

Crime statistics are not high, but thats because many people in Carrollton never called the police. They silently absorb the criminals rather than deal with the law and possibly draw too much attention to themselves.

On a cold night just before Christmas in 2001, at a cantina in Carrollton, Brenda Paz was shooting pool with her friends on an ancient, rundown pool table. They listened to old ranchero music while the other patrons, with a dark past and no care for the future, sat at the bar trying to ignore them. Brendas friends all had tattoos on their faces and necks, visible for all to see, despite the cold. Even though Brenda was underage, no one bothered her. No one was willing to cross her or her gang, who had a reputation for violence and spread fear everywhere they went.

Extortion was a daily activity for Brenda and her gang. They roamed the streets of Carrollton like a band of urban gypsies, looking for cash. They made regular stops with the owners of check-cashing stores, bars, and pool halls, prostitution joints, used-car lots, and other small businesses. The owners knew that if they didnt pay up, they would lose everything.

When Brenda leaned forward to take a shot, her shirtsleeve receded to reveal a large tattoo on the inside of her bicep. Another one decorated her elbow. Her boyfriends name adorned the topside of her right wrist, and three equidistant dots in the skin between her thumb and forefinger completed her most visible gang signs. She was not a murderer, but she had been in the gang long enough to earn her stripes.

She wasnt very good at pool, but a sharp tongue and a quick wit kept her gangster friends at bay. Women in her gang rarely spoke back to the men, but Brenda could do so because she was the girlfriend of the groups leader, the only man who reserved the right to beat her. No one else could touch her. Her boyfriends threat was always present.

The group played pool to pass the time. There would be a party later that night in the neighboring city of Grand Prairie, but no one was in a hurry. They had settled into a comfortable routine of shooting stick, drinking beer, and carelessly spending the money they regularly extorted from the hardworking men and women in their community.

Tonight, Brenda was impatient. She wanted to get going. She needed more action than this tired old cantina. Before the game was over, she walked to a public phone by the bar to call a new friend, a boy she had met only weeks earlier at a shopping mall. She wanted him to give her and her friend Flaca a ride to the party. The other guys could meet up with them later.

Options for friends outside Brendas gang were limited. She knew that hanging out even for a short time with another boy might invite problems, especially because her boyfriend had no patience for outsiders. But Brenda was sometimes rebellious and defied his wishes. She liked making new friends outside the gang. They allowed her a moment to soften a little and act like a girl. Her charisma could quickly disarm anyone, and Brenda made friends easily. Thumbing the dirty blue receiver connected to the cantinas pay phone, Brenda filed through the numbers in her head, then settled on the cell phone of Javier Calzada.

He was a good-looking boy, the son of two Mexican immigrants. Brenda knew he was a proud young man who worked hard and enjoyed spending his money on nice things. He had told her all about his car the first time theyd met. It was a source of great pride. He had installed an enviable sound system, neon ground effects, and head-turning rims. Once, a guy he knew had stolen his ground effects; Javier had found the guy and confronted him about it. Brenda thought that took guts. Javier occasionally got into fights, but they were nothing like what Brendas gang got involved in. He had seen some violence in his young life, but mostly he kept out of trouble.