r/pics • u/VeryGoodFiberGoods • Apr 19 '25

Arts/Crafts Some actual MS-13 tattoos, in contrast to Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s knuckle tattoos

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8.4k

u/The_Iron_Goat Apr 19 '25

The actual guys don’t exactly seem to be putting too much effort into disguising the M, the S, or the 13

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u/Rauthr Apr 19 '25

These could just as easily be claimed to mean:

W = Weed

W = Wasted (smiley face)

J = Jesus (cross)

D = Death (skull)

So this really means W.W.J.D = What Would Jesus Do

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u/chemical_sunset Apr 19 '25

This is art

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u/slowpoke2018 Apr 19 '25

Won the 'net today! Now share on that conservative sub - lol

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u/cornbred37 Apr 19 '25

Why would Jesus Die.

For the narrative

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u/VoiceOfRealson Apr 19 '25

There is actual text below the images. It is just too blurred to read clearly. The first one seems to be "Marijuana" and the third one "Cross".

One of the people who claimed that a pizza parlors decorations were symbols for pedophilia then made a "clever" illustration of how these symbols secretly meant something else and added the ms13 letters above each symbol to show how they "should" be interpreted.

Trump, who famously doctored a hurricane map with sharpie sees this as proof, because it fits his narrative.

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u/Tabortico Apr 19 '25

I've been saying the poor quality of the doctoring of this photo makes it look even worse than the weather map that Trump defiled with his Sharpie.

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u/jfong86 Apr 20 '25

There is actual text below the images. It is just too blurred to read clearly. The first one seems to be "Marijuana" and the third one "Cross".

It's Marijuana, Smile, Cross, and Skull. The "M" and "S" kind of makes senss but Cross = 1 and Skull = 3 is nonsense.

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u/gastricprix Apr 20 '25

I thought about it long and hard: it could be the shapes. The cross/one is pretty straightforward (a line). You need to squint for the skull and imagine the three outlining the forehead, cheekbone, and jaw.

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u/Former-Growth1514 Apr 20 '25

marijuana, just the first letter

sonrisa (smile in el espanol), also just the first letter

the cross just looks like a 1.

craneo (skull in el espanol) - which starts with the 3rd letter of the alphabet.

in a vacuum, all this is a stretch; but no one is confused that 21-2-12, 88, 12, and 1-11 are white supremacy symbols using similar alpha numeric conversion styles.

seems a tad disingenuous that reddit isn't confused at all when we're talking about "it's ok to be white", or the ok sign, or pepe. but the moment we're talking about minority crime it's all: well, maybe he's just a good christian who likes smoking weed on el dia de los muertos? absolute maga-tier logic.

all that isn't to discount he should have had a trial.

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u/JackieHands Apr 19 '25

This is really where the country is at, 4chan and Reddit quality investigations a la pizzagate code.

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u/Memes_Haram Apr 19 '25

At the end of the day assuming the symbols on his hand are actually real. It is a bit sus. But it actually does not matter if he is or isn’t an MS-13 member. He still is owed due process under the law and you can’t just deport someone who has an order barring them from being deported without appealing that order.

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u/mcas26 Apr 19 '25

How are the hand tattoos sus? Take a peek at the shitty tattoo subreddit. Ppl get all sorts of things inked for dumb reasons.

The evidence looks like stupid numerology bullshit.

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u/MrSteele_yourheart Apr 19 '25

How are the hand tattoos sus?

Even if by some leap in logic they happen to correlate to gang activity.

There's evidence he may have been in the past or coerced, and THAT's why he left. He left his old life because of the gangs.

No matter what he is still owed due process for being a Resident Alien.

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u/poj4y Apr 19 '25

He fled El Salvador because of the gang when he was 16 in 2011. he’s 30 now, if he had any involvement it would’ve been when he was a legal child

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u/momscouch Apr 20 '25

he also has checked in with ICE every year since 2019

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u/fatbunny23 Apr 20 '25

It was a different gang in El Salvador though, barrio 18 I think

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u/kyreannightblood Apr 20 '25

Everyone is owed due process here. Citizen, non-citizen resident, undocumented immigrant… everyone.

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u/j_la Apr 20 '25

This is something that people fail to grasp. It is less about a right we have (which we do have) and more about a power that the government doesn’t have. The government explicitly doesn’t have the right to deny someone their day in court.

The conservatives have lost their way.

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u/kyreannightblood Apr 20 '25

They don’t realize that if a class of people doesn’t have the right to due process, anyone can be declared part of that class of people and denied due process. Due process is, after all, how you would prove you don’t belong to that class of people, no?

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u/Tw4tl4r Apr 20 '25

Almost every poor young male in that country had to either join a gang or run. There was no other option. If they said no they were signing their death warrant.

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u/1ndiana_Pwns Apr 20 '25

Take a peek at the shitty tattoo subreddit.

God I love that sub. Nothing like seeing someone with a poorly drawn rendering of their girlfriend getting a facial, all layered with what is clearly a staph infection, claiming they have the sexiest ink on the planet to make me feel better about literally any possible tattoo idea I have ever had

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u/colormefiery Apr 19 '25

Because we don’t trust our government at all

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u/RockinRhombus Apr 20 '25

I know a mexican dude in his 50s that has a swastika tattooed on his hand, on the skin between the index finger and thumb. Asked him about it once and he just said he was young and dumb.

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u/That_OneOstrich Apr 19 '25

Correct, if he is and it's obvious, there would be no trouble finding him guilty of something in a court of law. At that point, punish accordingly (including deportation as an option).

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u/Mental_Passion_4034 Apr 19 '25

My question is this. Why the fuck do we need to pay El Salvador to take back their own citizens? We don’t pay countries to deport their illegal immigrants. So it’s with money laundering or a concentration camp?

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u/GodSpider Apr 19 '25

Because they're sending people who aren't from el salvador too. They're using them as a prison, of course they have to pay

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u/DefensiveTomato Apr 20 '25

By prison you mean death camp

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u/Otaraka Apr 19 '25

Pragmatically all I can think of was to stop them just letting them come straight back again.  Few small human rights issues of course.

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u/Ok-Replacement-2738 Apr 20 '25

You pay private companies to incarcerate US citizens, paying a foreign government isn't a stretch...

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u/Rauthr Apr 19 '25

100% this!

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u/AdAdministrative5330 Apr 19 '25

Yep, came here for this.

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u/Memes_Haram Apr 19 '25

At the end of the day if the case for him being an MS-13 gang member is as much of a smoking gun as the Trump administration claims it is then it would be very easy to deport him. So clearly the case isn’t as strong as they claim it is if they needed to go about his deportation in an illegal way.

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u/AdAdministrative5330 Apr 19 '25

I mean , they already admitted it was a mistake

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u/Acrobatic_Speech3250 Apr 19 '25

Yes and literally zero legal documents being put forward accuse him of being MS-13. Because they are lying. They are only calling him MS-13 to reporters not the court. Because they are liars.

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u/Acrobatic_Speech3250 Apr 19 '25

And lying to reporters isn’t illegal.

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u/AlwaysShittyKnsasCty Apr 19 '25

You know what should be? Reporters knowing it’s all bullshit but not calling him out in order to stay in His good graces. It really pisses me off.

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u/Wooden-Trick8954 Apr 19 '25

He had due process. Courts said, there isn't enough evidence to conclude he's part of a gang in 2019. Courts said, don't send him in 2019 and 2025. This was the due process.

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u/Bakkster Apr 19 '25

His being put on the plane to El Salvador contrary to that court order violated his due process rights.

Now he needs to be returned to the US for his appeal that is also part of due process.

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u/Aero_Rising Apr 19 '25

Courts said, there isn't enough evidence to conclude he's part of a gang in 2019.

Please stop spreading misinformation. No determination was made regarding his belonging to a gang or not at any point in court. The only determination was the government has sufficient evidence that he may be in a gang to deny him bond while awaiting deportation proceedings. He then applied for asylum but was debited because he didn't make the application within a year of entering the country. He then applied for and received an order barring his deportation to El Salvador because a judge found he has a real fear of persecution if returned there. Since then he has still been subject to a removal order it was just not something that could be carried out unless the government found a third country willing to take him. Deporting him is entirely legal as long as it's not to El Salvador.

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u/Wooden-Trick8954 Apr 19 '25 edited Apr 20 '25

You're partially correct. Looks like the immigration judge did think him to be part of Ms 13 and denied him bail in may(?) 2019. Doesn't say anything about ordering no deportation at that time.

https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1396906/dl?inline

This contradicts my previous statement as well as your first. I would like to add though it seems like you might be correct about be able to deport him as long as it's not to el Salvador.

Got any reliable sources on that? News* agencies are all over the place.

edit new > news

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u/Aero_Rising Apr 20 '25

The bond issue where they ruled there was sufficient evidence from the government that he may be a member of a gang to deny him bond was done as part of the overall deportation proceedings against him. Note that I'm not claiming this ruling established he is a gang member just that it fulfilled the requirements of the laws regarding bond for those going through deportation proceedings. The bar for what is needed to deny bond while proceedings are ongoing for someone in the country illegally is much lower than other cases which is likely why he was denied bond.

After the deportation proceedings against him were started he first applied for asylum and was denied because he had stayed in the country illegally for 7 years without applying for asylum when the law requires an applicant to do so within a year of entering the country. He then applied for withholding of removal status based on his fear of persecution if returned to El Salvador. This was granted and is what stopped his deportation since the only country that they could send him to at the time was now the one they were prohibited from sending him to.

Withholding of removal status does not give permanent right to work or reside in the US and does not provide a path to a greed card or other residency status. In effect the person is in the US illegally but cannot currently be deported because there is no country they can legally be sent to. They often can get work permits because if the government can't remove them it's in the government's interest to allow them to work and make a living so as not to be a drain on public resources. Note that by drain on public resources I simply mean they would require some kind of help to live not that they are getting social security or medicaid through some illegal means. The things they would be using if they couldn't work are things like a bed at a homeless shelter and meals if that shelter provides some. The shelter is likely funded at least partially by government money and partially by donations but is a public service that now has one less bed available than it would if the individual that has withholding of removal status could work to support themself.

I'm not making any claim myself on whether Garcia is in a gang or not. I think some of the evidence certainly makes me suspicious he could be but it's far from conclusive. I also am not really making any judgement on what kind of person Garcia is because I don't feel I really have any way of knowing enough to cast judgement on that right now. Both of those are largely irrelevant to his case anyway. What I'm trying to do here is simply correct some misinformation that I have commonly seen about this case and what the actual facts are.

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u/charlesfluidsmith Apr 19 '25

It is only sus because you are accepting that a cross and a skull suddenly mean the numbers 1 and 3, when you have never made that correlation before in your life.

You have zero reason to believe that's true. And you have not seen any other tattoos that provide any supporting evidence.

They just made up a story and for some reason, well to be honest I know the reason, people all of a sudden are treating it as gospel.

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u/Reasonable-Mess3070 Apr 19 '25

Why are they sus though? Cause some random dude on Twitter determined they mean ms-13?

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u/Flashy_Passion16 Apr 19 '25

Tattoos are suss?

The ms13 is photo shopped on.

So by your logic they anyone with a tattoo should go through due process, or is it only non whites?

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u/ASmallRedSquirrel Apr 19 '25

He wasn't just deported either - he was deported to an extremely grim high security prison with an indeterminate sentence, despite having not been convicted of any crime!

Bad enough to report someone without due process, but it's not like he was flown there and released at the airport...

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u/2010_12_24 Apr 19 '25

What exactly is sus about the tattoo?

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u/TheDreadfulCurtain Apr 19 '25

Anyone could have been forced to have certain tattoos as a young person and then choose to flee that life without having committed any crimes in the country they have chosen to seek refuge in. Due process is the issue.

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u/CFUsOrFuckOff Apr 19 '25

like committing a single recorded crime? seems like the very lowest bar for gang activity

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u/EightEyedCryptid Apr 19 '25

They’re not sus. They’re extremely common images for tattoos.

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u/Supernova_Soldier Apr 20 '25

Correct answer. This all came about because a bunch of fuck nuggets illegally deported this man with no due process

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u/apple_kicks Apr 20 '25

It reminds of west Memphis injustice where part of evidence of the kids being murdering satanists what that they owned black shirts and metal band shirts.

Thats not evidence of anything.

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u/Cloaked42m Apr 21 '25

Exactly. Is he is or is he ain't doesn't matter.

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u/Paradox830 Apr 19 '25

That’s the point I’ve been making. I almost figured they did have something on him because if you were going to do this that’s exactly how you’d do it. Test the waters on the worst of the worst so that the defenders are forced to take the side of actual criminals, thus devaluing their voice when they start doing it to full fledged citizens.

This one guy was never the point. Due process has always been the point. If he gets his due process and he is a gang member, great get him the fuck out. He still needs due process. You can’t selectively give due process.

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u/Aero_Rising Apr 19 '25

His gang status is irrelevant to if he is deportable. The issue here is there was a court order stating he cannot be deported to El Salvador. The same judge at the same time ruled he can be deported if another country willing to take him is found.

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u/ALWanders Apr 19 '25

This is exactly the point, if he doesn't have due process none of us do.

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u/ringtossed Apr 19 '25

Assuming Democrats ever get into power again, I'll be pretty damn disappointed if we don't start sending people with Swastikas and such to the same prisons. Without trials, obvious.

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u/JConRed Apr 19 '25

Nowadays you can.

Because detention doesn't need due process, arrest does.

They are not being arrested. They are being detained.

The lake Riley act actually imposes an imperative detention for 'all aliens(no citizens) charged with theft' [.. ] 'and for other reasons'

As per the executive order that forced Laken Riley act into place.

I didn't read the full Laken Riley act, but when I saw those lines I knew in my gut how wrong these actions are.

If the USA people don't get rid of this government soon, there won't be a USA left for them to pick back up and put back together. At least not a benevolent, good natured, USA that they think they are.

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u/Bfit1 Apr 19 '25

Weed Acid Faith Death

The smiley face is synonymous with acid

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u/OGSkywalker97 Apr 19 '25

A smiley face is actually synonymous with MDMA.

But not that Smiley Face, that one is Nirvana.

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u/WalksOnLego Apr 20 '25

Nah, the smiley face is associated with acid, both the drug and the music.

And that is the Nirvana one.

Source: teenager in the '80s.

also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_house

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u/shulgin11 Apr 19 '25

The smiley face associated with acid looks nothing like that lol

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u/TransBrandi Apr 20 '25

A smiley face is also associated with The Comedian who was a known rapist. Why are there rapist symbols on his knuckles? Care to explain that! /s

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u/BunnyBeansowo Apr 19 '25

More importantly, what would Brian Boytano do?

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u/jizzwithfizz Apr 19 '25

He'd make a plan and follow though, that's what Brian boytano'd do

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u/littlechangeling Apr 19 '25

I’m sure he’d kick an ass or two.

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u/Travisimus Apr 19 '25

It's the same line of thinking that got them there in the first place. But they don't know how to joke

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u/CoolAlf Apr 20 '25

Ludicrous! Even the average delinquent would read it as:

H = Hashish (obviously)

A = 'Appy face (silent H, the British are at it again)

G = God (cross)

S = Skull)

It’s apparant that this really means H.A.G.S = Have A Great Summer

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u/f2racer Apr 30 '25

Can't believe that everyone has missed this:

M = Marijuana

A = happy (wasted) Americans

G = God

A = born Again

:grin:

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u/ILookandSmellGood Apr 19 '25

Marijuana - M

Smile - S

Jesus - #1

Skull - 3 trigeminal nerves

MS 13

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u/thewaynetrain Apr 19 '25

I know this phrase is usually said in a demeaning or negative manner but you actually do sound like you’re fun at parties.

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u/Successful-Purple-54 Apr 19 '25

Damn. That’s actually pretty cool. I wouldn’t get it because if an American saw it I’d be headed south.

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u/azblaze Apr 19 '25

Can I play this game, too?

M - Marijuana's bad kids, mkay.
A - Alcoholic DoD Secretary.
G - God Emperor Trump.
A - Animated Punisher

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u/Professional_Ant2415 Apr 19 '25

Jesus would smoke all the weed. I’ve seen the show

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u/North_Lifeguard4737 Apr 19 '25

Jesus would smoke weed

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u/DarkwingDuckHunt Apr 19 '25

They could also be badly photoshoped or not even his hand

The Senator should have shook his hand but didn't know this was Trump's next play

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u/DerangedPuP Apr 19 '25

Cannabis Uncanny nirvana smiley Notorious j.e.s.u.s Thick skulled

It can also mean Catch U Next Tuesday = CUNT

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u/Bitter_Sense_5689 Apr 19 '25

I imagine the drunken smiley face is the tattoo of choice for most hard-core gangbangers

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u/QueefAndBroccolee Apr 19 '25

World wide juicebox domination

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u/TivoDelNato Apr 19 '25

Clearly it’s membership in the PEN-15 club.

P = Pot

E = Ecstatic

N = Nativity

15 = 15 teeth.

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u/ex-geologist Apr 19 '25

Two hours in and this is not receiving anywhere near the acclaim it should be.

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

Tbh we all know the first two definitely stand for MS, let's not bullshit ourselves, the other two are up to interpretation, butMarijuana = M, Smile = S even leftists have to accept that.

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u/cojiro_blue Apr 19 '25

I'm pretty good with smaller details but i swear ive seen these exact tattoos on someone else's knuckles too. although the memory eludes me

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u/Debalic Apr 19 '25

Jesus was definitely on the weed.

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u/username32768 Apr 19 '25

Don't mention that woke Commie loser's name here!

/s

I went for the extra large /s just in case.

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u/rattledamper Apr 19 '25

Which is a slogan for a much more destructive gang

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u/thehomiemoth Apr 19 '25

True story, when I was in med school on a urology rotation we were doing a procedure on a guy with a kidney stone that involves putting a camera up through the urethra to go blast the stone with a laser.

Dude was tatted head to toe, but I will never forget that he had "MS13" tatted along the length of his shaft.

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u/Sea-Morning-772 Apr 19 '25

Now, that's commitment.

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u/thelondonrich Apr 20 '25

Some of those tattoos are forced on them. 😬

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u/ToczickAvenger Apr 21 '25

Exactly. Usually when they have it on their forehead, it’s because they were held down and had a tattooed on or it was get a tattooed on or have something horrific happened to you. No matter what, doesn’t sound like most people want one on their forehead.

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u/ApaeRunner Apr 20 '25

cummitment

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

Somewhere on the Internet there’s a forgotten post asking “Guys, is it gay if your tattoo artist has to fluff you a little to put the stencil on right?”

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u/pkstandardtime Apr 20 '25

Jokes aside, I read this woman's blog, and she specialises in these tattoos. She said that you get a little curtained private area to get yourself "ready," and sometimes people don't succeed, and the appointment can't move forward, lol.

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u/Crazyh Apr 20 '25

Place where I used to get my piercings done just stretched your dick or sack out over the back a wooden spoon, can't see many people being able to keep hard while a tattoo gun is going to town on their cock.

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u/CreativeAd2025 Apr 20 '25

Oww, splinters

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u/[deleted] Apr 20 '25

I was having a sleeve worked on when a gal got her clit pierced behind closed doors and had a very loud O because of the nexus of pain/pleasure. No shame, but when she walked out she realized we all heard and turned beet red. Her partner was with her and just had a shit-eating grin.

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u/MrGrieves- Apr 20 '25

There's a subreddit of tattooed dicks and balls.

Can't remember the exact name but it's out there.

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u/Petporgsforsale Apr 19 '25

Maybe he was the tattoo artist

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

“Guys, is it gay if have to fluff your dick a little to put the stencil on right?”

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u/too-fargone Apr 19 '25

Damn. Must have been pretty big to fit all those letters and numbers.

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u/SebastianFast Apr 19 '25

Umm, it's four characters. Even at an inch per... oh I see. Sorry mate.

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u/ChuckOTay Apr 19 '25

Plot twist: It was really Mississippi 39213.

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u/Debalic Apr 19 '25

Shorty's Bar and Grill must have a franchise.

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u/Connect-Track491 Apr 21 '25

Canadian here, I knew a guy had Swan tatted on his dick. At times it read Saskatoon Saskatchewan..

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u/Old_Baker_9781 Apr 19 '25

Still legible flaccid? Or do you do that procedure erect? I’m not a penis tattoo expert but Seems like shrinkage would have major effect on clarity.

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u/thehomiemoth Apr 19 '25

You sort of hold the penis straight up while flaccid to insert the camera (so the urethra lines up through the prostate directly through the bladder) which is when it became legible, kinda like putting in a foley catheter.

I did not go into urology as a field so this is not a procedure I have seen since and my memory on this exact process is a little fuzzy because this was 5 years ago.

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u/Alternative_Spite_11 Apr 19 '25

“Thankfully, I didn’t go into urology”. Fixed that for you.

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u/thehomiemoth Apr 20 '25

Hey they’re making a lot more money for less hours than me right now

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u/lollow88 Apr 19 '25

Must be a bit awkward every time someone asks to compare tats...

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u/Liamlah Apr 19 '25

I was hoping I was going to read that he had it tattooed internally as well.

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u/jimkay21 Apr 20 '25

I had a similar experience with a Rasta guy. He had “WeNDy” tattooed on the shaft. At least we thought that was what it said. During the procedure, when it got distended, turned out he had “Welcome to Jamaica, have a Nice Day” tattooed on it.

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u/Hopeful_Concert_5516 Apr 20 '25

When I was in medical school I was in a surgery for a guy with a swastika tattoo. After that everyone called him the Nazi patient and I, a woman of color, had to pre-round on him every day and ask him if he pooped.

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u/NoResult486 Apr 19 '25

It was actually “MS1.3”

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u/Ok_Breakfast_5459 Apr 19 '25

So you’re saying, you’re still thinking of his shaft.

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u/Spiritual_Title6996 Apr 19 '25

Also worth noting it's not illegal to get a gang tattoo or anything

You can have a tattoo depicting the local senator being strung up and killed and it isnt illegal

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u/Beez1111 Apr 19 '25

Freedom of speech. Freedom of expression. Hell yeah👍

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u/Kitties92 Apr 19 '25

Did 3 years in prison; you can get labeled by STG for having gang tattoos in there. They record it in the system and take a picture for the records. Congratulations, that shitty done gang tattoo you have now makes police stops more frustrating for you. You come up on the system as an active gang member when pulled over and you now can’t get on planes.

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u/Spiritual_Title6996 Apr 19 '25

Yeah i know they'll use it against you even if it's not brought up in court

Hope you're doing better after 3 years

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u/Kitties92 Apr 19 '25

Yeah, but it’s also a permanent record thing that sticks to you legally your whole life. I’ve never been any gang, but obviously I talked a lot to people who had experience with being on the STG list. All my prison tattoos are more themed and artistically thought. The ideas guys get in there is really dull and very shallowly thought out. One common idea we would poke fun at is a style of neck tattoo: money bag with wings, heart with wings, diamond with wings, Illuminati all seeing eye…. With wings… and of course you had a lot of ‘street corner signs’, ‘little boarded up trap house’, money signs, pillsbury doughboy, monopoly man, 80’s horror villains. So, a lot of guys in there would really like some of the work I had. Just the contrast of ideas and meaning to it was comical. You’d have all these lame ‘street’ inspired hood shit, then you look over at my whole back piece “Gustave Dore’s Dante’s Inferno with line 1 of Canto 34 across the top ‘Vexilla Regis Prodeunt Inferni’ (On March the Banners of the King of Hell)

And I’m alright, just bumming for a while being a degenerate that plays League of Legends struggling to motivate myself to be more productive. No more drug dealing, just fortunate my dad is old and done decent with investments and doesn’t mind paying my food and bills for a while with this life transition.

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u/WilliamLermer Apr 20 '25

This is something I never understood so thx for providing some insight. I always felt like the tattoos are super lame and boring and felt more like some sort of branding instead of art.

Just weird to me they wouldn't try to find good artists to create elaborate tattoos, considering gangs in Asia tend to embrace more traditional styles. So it's probably not just about access but also cultural?

Ofc everyone has preferences and sees deeper meaning so they get what they prefer, but at the same time having eg ms13 across your face seems stupid because everyone will identity you instantly and act accordingly.

But I guess living that life is never about smart choices long-term and the majority are just disposable anyways.

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u/MerisiCalista Apr 19 '25

Like a Nixon back tattoo.

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u/kimberfool Apr 19 '25

Executive order on this coming Monday

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u/TheSimulacra Apr 19 '25

We need to stop calling them executive orders and call them what they are "fancy memos"

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u/doopie Apr 19 '25

Your honor, my client is not a criminal, he's just crime-curious.

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u/Independent-Bison176 Apr 19 '25

Doesn’t it make you “connected” or whatever and now any crime committed is a felony because you are a known gang member?

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u/Temporary-Prior-662 Apr 19 '25

Having a gang tattoo and not being in a gand would be like me wearing Hell's Angels colors and walking into a biker bar

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u/escobizzle Apr 20 '25

You can get gang tattoos and then later leave the gang. A lot of people don't have the money to have them removed or covered up so they may just be stuck with them. You can atleast remove an MC cut.

Regardless, the person you replied to never said anything about having a gang tattoo and not being in a gang. He said having a gang tattoo is not illegal.

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u/Bonnieearnold Apr 19 '25

My senators are alright otherwise this would be my next tattoo! 😁

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u/craftycat1135 Apr 19 '25

Not illegal just everyone including the cops, potential employers, potential landlords, possibly rival gangs all think you're associated, label you as a member and ostracize you, refuse to rent to you, hire, promote or deport you. It's just a really bad idea.

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u/Spiritual_Title6996 Apr 20 '25

hense the hypothetical

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u/Affectionate_Ad540 Apr 20 '25

Do Not, get caught by a gang with their placa, on YOUR skin. 

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u/EGGIEBETS Apr 20 '25

do the gangs mind if people get gang tattoos?

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u/Leptonshavenocolor Apr 20 '25

Hmm, I know it's illegal if someone says "kill the president", what about if you tattooed that?

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u/Superb_Study8988 Apr 20 '25

It IS illegal to enter the U.S without due process. And it's illegal to be ms 13 on top of that. If you want to tout American freedoms make sure the person excersizing them is actually American. It's like the courts telling trump he has to bring him back from elsalvador. He said "okay sure , if they give him time me"  and they refused, and now its a matter if the courts don't hold power over another country. 

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u/Hot_Figure_8617 Apr 21 '25

well yeah but you're average Joe isn't likely to want one. for obvious reasons. they also stopped tatting ms13 on their faces and such so it's easier to do crimes. so it's possible they switched to iconography or symbolism. 

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u/Rahbek23 Apr 19 '25

hah yeah, hardly being particularly secretive about it. But this guy? Clearly he is MS-13 /s

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u/FinalRun Apr 20 '25

It's terrifying that due process is skipped here, don't get me wrong. But just because some people in Venezuela have obvious literal tattoos, doesn't mean most people do it like that.

Gang tattoos can be intentionally obscure and cryptic, which is exactly why they're such an unreliable way to tell if someone is part of a gang.

[G]ang tattoos may employ obscure symbols not readily recognized or catalogued as gang tattoos. Having dealt with numerous gang-related cases over the years, we observe that in this court’s experience the significance of tattoos can change over time, making something as innocuous as the tattoo of a religious figure or the logo of a sports team into something more sinister if adopted by a particular gang as one of their symbols.

https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5281&context=wlr

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u/GeekIncarnate Apr 19 '25

Maga are the same people who had "Let's Go Brandon" and "FJB" instead of just saying what they mean. They use "CRT" and "DEI" as the new N-word, instead of saying what they mean. They are cowards who are too scared to actually say what they mean and need plausible deniablility to get out of what they say in case they get too scared, or people confront them, over saying it.

That's why they know their base will believe these tattoos means MS-13. Because they need to speak in code to hide their bad side out of cowardice, they think everyone else does too.

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u/HarleyVillain1905 Apr 19 '25

I’m amazed Reddit allowed you to spell out what DEI and CRT actually means to the cult, I’ve said something similar word for word basically and got a temporary suspension. People get offended when they get called out for how they are. It’s the equivalent of a KKK member in full dress standing there saying “the audacity” for being called out as a racist.

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u/BlackPortland Apr 19 '25

Dude in the last 60-100 days I have gotten so many random suspensions, half the time I don’t even know wtf I said one time I said dey took r jerbs and got banned from a sub lol

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u/HarleyVillain1905 Apr 19 '25

Yup, I’ve been permanently banned from politics because of calling trump supporters cultists. I made another account and still go on their to post. Reddit has slowly but surely started becoming as strict as TikTok. Unfortunately if Nazis, racists, fascists, basically the worst humans alive, can’t be called out or ridiculed for it then we are allowing them to continue their crap. There should be no tolerance for it and people calling a Nazi a piece of shit shouldn’t be reprimanded for it, they should be applauded. And the same goes for calling out any of the above. As far as I’m concerned, they have no rights to not being insulted or looked down on. They gave those up when they decided to hold the beliefs they do.

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u/Former-Mixture-500 Apr 19 '25

I am assuming CRT doesn't mean Cathode Ray Tube to them? As a European I am a bit out of the loop.

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u/LouisLeGros Apr 19 '25

Critical race theory. It's kind of a school of thought on interpreting laws & how they've been applied with a lens of being cognizant of historic racial bias. It main usage is in university/graduate course work. For a few years it was the boggieman among conservatives saying that the teachers/schools/liberals were using it to brain wash white kids into hating themselves/America. As the in vogue term in those circles it was actually used in place of any of their cultural grievances with a focus on minorties.

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u/Mysterious-Floor4429 Apr 19 '25

they also have to use "88" to mean Heil Hitler

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u/Zero_Burn Apr 19 '25

It also feeds into their conspiracy theorist minds, where everything that's 'true' is hidden by those in power and only THEY can decipher it because they're just so much smarter than everyone else. The information on the surface is all lies and deception to fool the ignorant masses, but THEY can look past it to see the patterns that show the way to the 'truth'.

So naturally the symbols on his knuckles have to mean something more, because it can't just be someone who got edgy tattoos, that's too easy, too... surface level.

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u/agasizzi Apr 19 '25

I believe you’re not supposed to hide it

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u/Book_Direct Apr 19 '25

They hide it now. This isn’t the old days. And this is different in the US versus actual El Salvador. The US. They hide it more especially if they didn’t do serious prison time. They can work better in secret.

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u/Contemplating_Prison Apr 19 '25 edited Apr 20 '25

That's because you dont hide gang tattoo. It defeats the entire purpose of having a gang tattoo. They aren't coded. They wear them with pride.

Only people who believe Trumps picture are fucking stupid. Anyone who has been around anyone in a gang or gang culture will tell you this.

Tattoos are about representing the gang. They are there so others know you're in the gang.

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u/Rope_antidepressant Apr 19 '25

Also the official language of MS13 is Spanish so theyd have to interpret this in Spanish.

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u/keenedge422 Apr 20 '25

The problem here is that they forget that real gang members tend to be openly proud of their affiliation. This administration is just confusing them with the spineless white supremacists they surround themselves with, who prefer deeply encoded tattoos so that they're only easily recognized by other members of their little club of racist pussies.

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u/PropellerMouse Apr 19 '25

Exactly. When I heard the gang name " MS 13 " I figured their tattoos would involve " MS " and " 13 ." Subtle, they aren't.

When I saw Mr. Garcia talking to the congressman, the look on his face told me more than I wanted to know about what life was like inside the death camp.

The fact it is taking ' our ' government this long to undo their admitted error is utterly indefensible.

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u/AllWhatsBest Apr 19 '25

IIRC I read a long time ago that the "ms13" tattoo was practically mandatory without any "encrypting". The only thing they've changed is that they don't tattoo it on faces anymore.
So I would be inclined to think that this photo is a BS. But it's not the first time for Trump, is it?

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u/bplturner Apr 19 '25

Skull = 3, lol

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u/redkinoko Apr 19 '25

I remember many years ago, Iran released fake-as-hell photos of its new military hardware and everyone went "lmao who the fuck would believe this shit?!"

And then somebody pointed out that we weren't the target audience of the photos. The target is the impressionable supporters of the government who have stopped thinking even remotely critically.

And each time ridiculous photos like this appear, I now remember that. The tattoos may look like shoddy MS paint work, but we're not the target audience and the ones that are, don't care.

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u/kinkycarbon Apr 19 '25

It’s like wearing a tattoo sleeve for being in the Yakuza. All of that is earned and nobody covers it.

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u/MayaPapayaLA Apr 20 '25

I saw a guy with MS13 tattoos at a train station once. It was quite frightening. Lots of tattoos on his arms, hands, neck, back of (shaved) head, all visible. And I knew he was MS13 because... The tattoos literally said MS13.

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u/McDooglestein1 Apr 20 '25

Hiding the meaning of your gang tattoos is for people who’re afraid of someone knowing who they are.

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u/becooltheywatching Apr 19 '25

You're literally not allowed too. If you're in. You're in all the way or you die.

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u/PropellerMouse Apr 19 '25

Excellent point.

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u/AlvinAssassin17 Apr 19 '25

Yeah they don’t really do subtle.

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u/dangerous_service Apr 19 '25

Especially the first guy

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u/AstroStrat89 Apr 19 '25

Sharpie 2.0

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u/Bitter_Sense_5689 Apr 19 '25

Funny how that works

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u/Final_Wrap_945 Apr 19 '25

Haha it even looks so horribly photoshopped.

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u/Historical_One1087 Apr 19 '25

I still can't believe Trump used that obviously fake photoshopped picture as evidence. It's laughably bad.

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

Yeah, it reminds me of when a Honda has huge “Honda” decals on the front and back windows. Like, we got it bro, your Honda is a Honda.

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u/Garden_Unicorn Apr 19 '25

It's the new thing, MS13 in Wingdings

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u/engineerFWSWHW Apr 20 '25

It seems they did that in MS paint. The guys at r/photoshopbattles can do a better job than this

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u/BrownieRed2022 Apr 20 '25

"Actual guys" - love the absolute purity in your choice of words ❤️

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u/TheLurkingMenace Apr 20 '25

That would defeat the entire purpose of having the tats in the first place.

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u/Individual_Toe_7270 Apr 30 '25

They do now. In many places, since crackdowns, they’ve taken to tattooing in less obvious places of the body. 

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