Write a report on the following question.Provide information about the emergence and growth of transnational gangs with roots in Latin America. Investigate the factors behind their emergence and growth, such as the role played by U.S. immigration policy, U.S. role in globalisation processes, or the U.S. strategies to deal with drug trafficking, among others.IntroductionTransnational gangs in America are a form of organized crime operating in more than one country. There are leaders who rule the gangs, and their main objective is to make money (National Institute of Justice, 2013). Though they were quite a number of transnational gangs, the influence of transnational gangs in America was realized after the El Salvador civil war in the 1980s (National Institute of Justice, 2013). United States and other countries in America, in a quest to help the affected allowed them to relocate to these countries. Some El Salvadorans formed gangs, which are claimed to operate from Los Angeles.Transnational gangs have a lot of influence. The current improvement and development of new technology has made them even stronger. Governments have been trying their best to control these gangs, but they have proved to be too smart and elusive for them. Corruption of government officials could be the main reason why they are becoming powerful as time unwinds. American governments have been trying to combat the gangs but in vain. Transnational gangs’ popularity and influence is a challenge, to combat them despite the ingenious strategies from experts in the governments.History of Transnational Gangs in AmericaIn the 1980s, a civil war started in El Salvador and completely changed the nature of transnational crime. Many people relocated from El Salvador to the United States, to run away from the war. Most people were traumatized by the actions taking place in their homes. When they moved to America, they decided to come together to protect each other from Mexican gangs by forming their own gangs (Anon, 2012).As such, experts point out that these gangs have been making Americans to live in fear were, in fact, born in the United States. Their main work is to terrorize people, traffic people and engage in illicit activities, including pornography (Blue, 2006). In fact, there are reasons to believe that some gangs are collaborating with drug cartels. Maloof (2012) claims that the notorious MS13 gang merged with a drug cartel to perpetrate its illicit activities. One thing about the Gangs is that they do not follow the law and order at all (Diaz, 2009).People from El Salvador were relatively fewer compared to Mexicans living in Los Angeles. Therefore, people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras came together, to form one gang to protect themselves from Mexican gangs. This led to the formation of a gang that had roots in the three countries. To survive, the gangs had to engage in illegal activities. The gangs were admired by many people, especially the youth who want to feel a sense of protection and power. The transnational gangs in the United States alone have more than 10,000 members spread across the United States (Prowse, 2012).Characteristics of transnational gangsMulti-country: Transnational gangs in America have been determined to operate in at least five countries. In most cases, they have contact people in these countries, whose main responsibility is to recruit new youths to the gangs, send and receive illegal goods as well as command the gang members in those countries (White, 2013).Adaptive: Transnational gang members are ever on the move to gain influence in different parts and to run away from the long arm of the law. They have developed special mechanisms to get to other areas and adapt like locals within a very short time. At the same time, they are able to interact with people in those areas very fast (White, 2013).Sophisticated: Transnational gangs are so sophisticated that even powerful country governments like the United States do not understand them. They are able to do their illicit activities across the borders even with high security and scrutiny when crossing some borders, like of the United States from Mexico. They pass illegal immigrants, drugs and human trafficking subjects across these very borders. Governments keep wondering what it is in them (Zilberg, 2011).Role of United States Foreign PolicyAs much as the United States government is fully committed to eradicate transnational criminal gangs across America, experts claim that it is one of the influences of the same. According to the United States Migration Policy Institute, the number of El Salvadorans migrating to the United States in the 1950s and 1960s was about one percent of the population only (Gammage, 2007). However, during the civil war, the number rose a little. At the same time, Salvadorans applied for asylum in the United States. United States department of immigration processed just about two percent of the asylum applications (Gammage, 2007).This was faced with a lot of controversy and criticism from the Human Rights organizations, Civil rights movement and the churches. They were of the proposal that El Salvador was at war and the people of that country needed refuge in countries like the United States. A fierce court battle emerged, and the organizations won. The United States government had no option but to process more asylum applications for El Salvadorans. The number of asylum applications processed rose to 25 percent by 1993 (Gammage, 2007). The number has been rising significantly year after year even with the knowledge that there were Salvadorian gangs in the United States (Gammage, 2007).………………………………………………For more on this paper, click hereTo get a custom written paper in this or any other topic, click hereExpert consultations to help you with studies
