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Armando Eliu Melgar Díaz, alias “Blue” or “Clipper,” of #MS13 was charged by USDOJ with terrorism. I have some thoughts: to begin with, the MS13 is not a terrorist group, henceforth the charge of terrorism is wrong. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/press-release/file/1294501/download
The indictment tries to get us to ignore this by talking about a series of designations Treasury and others. But no USG institution has called #MS13 terrorist, until now. Not even State Department. (See State Department list here: https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/)
the #MS13 do as indictment says (and I say in my forthcoming book on #MakingTheMS13), create a “climate of fear,” and they do try to influence politics, especially in El Salvador. but if that is terrorism, then I got 200 more groups like them, JUST IN MEXICO.
The indictment details Melgar Diaz, alias Blue's crimes. Essentially he coordinated some cliques on the East Coast, coordinated some small drug deals, helped green light some killings, connected people, conspired with others. In short, he should face charges, and he is. But...
He is not a terrorist. not even close. and if he is, there are 1000s more where he came from: the Skippies, the Clowns, the Dopeys, the Satans and the rest of the aptly nicknamed, loosely connected gang members across Americas and beyond. This isn't slippery slope, it's a cliff.
In @InSightCrime @PJAsmann breaks this into its necessary pieces, but this kind of indictment wreaks of political overreach. Not surprising. But get ready for more of this. https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/us-indictment-ms13-leader/
Now, there has been some interesting work looking at how street gang members can become jihadists (see below). But this is not happening with #ms13 And I don't expect it to anytime soon. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331150845_How_'gangsters'_become_jihadists_Bourdieu_criminology_and_the_crime-terrorism_nexus
