Since Trump began his second term in January, a dozen Latin American criminal organizations — among them, MS13 and Tren de Aragua — have been labeled foreign terrorist organizations. Using claims that these groups are invading the United States, the Trump administration has detained thousands in immigration enforcement operations supposedly targeting these gangs and other serious criminals.

InSight Crime took a closer look at how the national dynamics melding anti-migrant and anti-crime operations are playing out on a local level in the state of Tennessee.

This is the final chapter in a three-part series, where we explore the history of MS13, one of the gang’s labeled as invading terrorists by the Trump government.

Feeding the Beast: MS13 in Nashville | Written and read by James Bargent.

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