U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says taking down the brutal MS-13 street gang should be an aim for law enforcement.
Sessions on Monday designated the Central American gang as a "priority" for a federal task force that has traditionally pursued cartels and drug kingpins.
Sessions made the announcement during a speech to hundreds of police leaders at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Philadelphia.
The designation directs officials to pursue all possible charges during prosecutions, including racketeering, gun and tax law violations.
MS-13 has become a prime target of President Donald Trump's administration amid its broader crackdown on immigration. Sessions said MS-13 members "brutally rape, rob, extort and murder."
MS-13 members are suspected in several high-profile killings in the suburbs of New York City.
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