My column today recounts the good, the bad, and the ugly on the borders and in the air in 2004.

The first item I mention is the rise of MS-13, which I want to touch on a bit more extensively here. I think this El Salvador-based gang’s ascendance was one of the underreported stories of the year. I predict you’ll be seeing and hearing a lot more of this savage criminal enterprise in the year to come–and not just because of its suspected ties to al Qaeda.

The gang has spread across the country–not just in major metropolitan areas, but in suburbs like my own backyard.

Machete-wielding members have also settled in North Carolina, Nassau County, NY, and Boston.

And if you think MS-13 members are only a threat to each other, think again.