The motto of the gang MS-13, whose tentacles reach from El Salvador to Massachusetts, is “kill, rape, and control.”

But sweeping criminal indictments for racketeering have brought control to a stream of young defendants into court to plead guilty instead of going to trial.

WBUR senior reporter David Boeri was in the courtroom in Boston for the sentencing of one gang associate when, to his surprise, the leader of the whole East Coast branch of MS13 walked in to plead out as well. He discussed on Morning Edition.