Still Standing

Proactive Resilience Mechanisms in the MS-13 in El Salvador

Bibliographic Data

ID8400653
AuthorsCarlos Ponce (0000-0002-4383-7121, University of the Fraser Valley, corresponding author), Martin Bouchard (0000-0002-2911-5544, Simon Fraser University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume66
Issue1
Pages168-187
Publication date2026-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe British Journal of Criminology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-0955 • E-ISSN: 1464-3529
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/bjc/azaf038
OpenAlexW4410271300
LanguageEN
References cited64

Recent work on resilience in illicit organizations emphasizes the need to examine how groups anticipate and prepare for disturbances. This study investigates how proactive resilience mechanisms enabled MS-13 in El Salvador to survive the collapse of a secret deal with state actors. Using wiretap logs, we map the gang’s telecommunications and apply network metrics and models to analyse shifts in interaction patterns. Our findings show that overlapping proactive resilience mechanisms with bridging functions guided MS-13 towards a retrenchment strategy while maintaining intergroup cohesion. These results highlight the role of anticipation and preparation in shaping how illicit organizations withstand crises and reorganize to adapt

Physics · Resilience (materials science) · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Infrastructure Resilience and Vulnerability Analysis · Psychology · Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management

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Open DOIOpen Access