Critical to understanding the impact of gang networks on the state is analyzing the extent to which they challenge law and order, weaken institutions, and undermine the structural integrity of the state. In the context of fifth-generation warfare, this is achieved through direct and indirect actions that erode the state’s political, economic, and social institutions. Together, these institutions promote a system of governance, opportunity, and cohesion essential for a functioning state. However, while most gang research treats gangs as local actors, their network connections act as a threat multiplier that magnifies their national security threat status. Gang networks make for elusive targets that operate in unbounded geographic spaces and whose connections intersect with countries and non-state violent actors hostile to the United States. Moreover, gang networks create security vulnerabilities with which enemies of the state can exploit. Gangs have been known to influence local political outcomes, delay or deny the availability of public goods in certain areas, and reduce the credibility of security agencies as active participants in the military and law enforcement.