U.S. slaps sanctions on El Salvadoran gang members

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday slapped sanctions on six members of the notorious El Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha.

Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, has been involved in serious crimes in El Salvador, the United States, and other countries, including human smuggling, drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, assassinations, racketeering, and immigration offenses, said the Treasury in a statement. The crime organization became the first transnational criminal street gang that was sanctioned by the Treasury Department in October 2012.

The individuals being targeted include the gang's active leaders, members and narcotics traffickers, said the Treasury.

"Today's designations of six individuals working for or on behalf of MS-13 are designed to further disrupt the activities of MS-13 and to protect the U.S. and international financial system from abuse," said the statement.

Americans are banned from doing business with these individuals, and their assets under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.

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