maras

In recent years Honduras has been plagued by drug trafficking and so-called maras or street gangs that carry out gruesome beheadings, rapes, and eye gouging.

Nikolas Kozloff: Honduras: Who's The Real Drug Trafficker? 2009

The gangs, known as 'maras', started in the United States and then spread down into Central America, with members covered in distinctive tattoos and involved in drug trafficking, armed robbery and protection rackets.

Reuters: Top News 2012

Adding to the chaos, street gangs known as "maras" regularly extort businesses in cities and towns and often kill those who don't pay.

Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

The potential combination of Los Zetas - which has been known to leave severed heads in front of the Guatemalan Congress to intimidate officials - with the maras is a major cause for concern.

The Guardian World News Benedict Hayes 2011

Guatemala's, Panama's, El Salvador's and Hondura's "maras".

NextBillion.net - Development Through Enterprise - Eradicating Poverty through Profit 2010

In addition to a long-standing problem with local maras street gangs, Mexican cartels pushed south by President Felipe Calderón's militarized campaign against drug traffickers there now do battle with Guatemala's own criminal groups, some of whom have their roots in a military intelligence apparatus set up with U.S. aid during the country's internal armed conflict.

Michael Deibert: Ballots and Bullets in Guatemala Michael Deibert 2011

In addition to a long-standing problem with local maras street gangs, Mexican cartels pushed south by President Felipe Calderón's militarized campaign against drug traffickers there now do battle with Guatemala's own criminal groups, some of whom have their roots in a military intelligence apparatus set up with U.S. aid during the country's internal armed conflict.

Michael Deibert: Ballots and Bullets in Guatemala Michael Deibert 2011

In addition to a long-standing problem with local maras street gangs, Mexican cartels pushed south by President Felipe Calderón's militarized campaign against drug traffickers there now do battle with Guatemala's own criminal groups, some of whom have their roots in a military intelligence apparatus set up with U.S. aid during the country's internal armed conflict.

Michael Deibert: Ballots and Bullets in Guatemala Michael Deibert 2011

Lord of the secret, destroying all lords of maras;

The 12-Step Buddhist: The Dalai Lama Is My Higher Power 2010

But U.S. maras are nothing compared with their counterparts further south.

Boing Boing 2008