Gang activity emerges in state

Saturday, June 17th 2006, 12:21 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Police departments in the northwestern corner of the state are seeking help from the FBI after drug cartels and violent street gangs have recently populated the area.

Officials gathered yesterday in Woodward to hear from FBI gang experts about some of the nation's most violent street gangs, including Mara Salvatrucha also known as MS13.

FBI Special Agent John Davis says MS13 is active in the northwest as well as the Mexican Mafia, the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang and several motorcycle gangs.

Davis said educating police about how to identify violent gangs is the first step in preventing their expansion.

He says there also has been an increase in violent gangs from Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Mexico moving into smaller communities like Guymon and Enid.