WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- About 660 members of the violent MS-13 gang have been arrested in a two-day sweep across the United States and four Central American countries, reports CNN.
The operation was led by more than 6,400 agents from the United States, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico.
One Mexican official said, "There is no precedent in our law enforcement effort."
Authorities say about 10,000 of the MS-13 members are in the United States, active mostly in Los Angeles, New York and northern Virginia. But other regions are gaining members. Central America is estimated to have about 50,000 members.
The Mara Salvatrucha gang was formed in Los Angeles by young men from El Salvador. Most have family ties to that country or Honduras, CNN said.
The sweep's scope and collaborative effort "sent a message to MS-13 and other like gangs that their criminal enterprise and the violence they perpetrate will not be tolerated," said FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker, who oversaw the operation, the report said.
