Cortez, 25, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by the Circuit Court for ...

Two MS-13 gang members were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday. Elmer Lopez-Cortez, 25, ...

MS-13, also known as "Mara Salvatrucha," is believed to have been founded as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s by people fleeing civil war and violence in El Salvador.

The Mara Salvatrucha and 18th Street are criminal outfits which trace their origins to Los Angeles. In the 1990s, older members were deported from the US and forged local 'branches' on the streets ...