North American Criminal Gangs

North American Criminal Gangs

North American Criminal Gangs Street, Prison, Outlaw Motorcycle, and Drug Trafficking Organizations Edited by Tom Barker Carolina Academic Press Durham, North Carolina

Copyright 2012 Tom Barker All Rights Reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Barker, Thomas. North American criminal gangs : street, prison, outlaw motorcycle, and drug trafficking organizations / Tom Barker. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61163-071-8 (alk. paper) 1. Gangs--North America. 2. Prison gangs--north America. 3. Motorcycle gangs--north America. 4. Drug traffic--north America. I. Title. HV6439.N67B37 2012 364.106'6097--dc23 2012015545 Carolina Academic Press 700 Kent Street Durham, North Carolina 27701 Telephone (919) 489-7486 Fax (919) 493-5668 www.cap-press.com Printed in the United States of America.

To Addie, who brought new meaning, love and joy into our world.

Contents Acknowledgments xi Chapter 1 Introduction 3 I. Overview 3 II. What Exactly Is a Gang? 6 III. Selected Examples of Single Purpose Gangs 8 IV. Selected Examples of Organized Criminal Gangs 10 Drug Trafficking Organizations 10 Street Gangs 11 Los Angeles-Based or Influenced Street Gangs 11 Chicago-Based or Influenced Street Gangs 16 Prison Gangs 19 Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG) 24 References 27 Chapter 2 Street Gangs 29 I. Street Gangs An Introduction 29 II. Chicago-Based/Influenced Street Gangs 30 Gangster Disciple Nation 30 Black Gangsters or New Breed 32 Latin Kings 32 Black P. Stone Nation 34 Vice Lords 35 Four Corner Hustlers 36 Maniac Latin Disciples 36 Chicago Caucasian Street Gangs 36 C-Notes 36 Almighty Gaylords 37 Popes 37 Simon City Royals 37 III. Los Angeles-Based/Influenced Street Gangs 37 African American Street Gangs 37 Bloods 37 Crips 38 Hispanic Street Gangs 39 Surenos and Nortenos Alliances 39 vii

viii CONTENTS 18th Street 41 Florencia 13 43 Mara Salvatrucha (MS 13) 44 Avenues 46 Varrio Azusa 13 49 IV. Street Gangs in Canada 49 Provincial and Territorial Overview 51 Territories 51 Provinces 51 References 60 Readings 61 Reading 1. Mexican American Youth and Adult Prison Gangs in a Changing Heroin Market 62 Reading 2. How the Street Gangs Took Central America 81 Reading 3. Aboriginal Gangs and Their (Dis)placement: Contextualizing Recruitment, Membership, and Status 89 Reading 4. The Ballad of Daniel Wolfe 106 Chapter 3 Prison Gangs 117 I. Prison Gangs An Introduction 117 II. Selected Prison Gangs 120 Aryan Brotherhood 120 Barrio Azteca 121 The Black Guerilla Family 122 Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (HPL) 123 Mexican Mafia (EME) 124 Mexikanemi (The Texas Mexican Mafia or EMI) 125 Nuestra Familia 126 Public Enemy Number 1 126 Texas Syndicate (TS) 127 References 127 Readings 128 Reading 1. Blood In, Blood Out: The Violent Empire of the Aryan Brotherhood 128 Reading 2. PEN1: Public Enemy Number 1 California s Growing Racist Gang 142 Reading 3. Vicious Circle: Aryan Circle Blamed for Two Cop Killings 151 Reading 4. The Barrio Azteca Trial and the Prison Gang-Cartel Interface 157 Chapter 4 Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs 163 I. Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs An Introduction 163 II. Big Five Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs 164 Hells Angels MC (HAMC) 165 Bandidos MC 166 Outlaws MC 168

CONTENTS ix Pagans MC 169 Sons of Silence MC 170 III. Puppet/Support Clubs 170 IV. Independent Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs 172 V. Black or Interracial One-Percent OMGs 172 References 173 Readings 173 Reading 1. Crimes of the Big Four Motorcycle Gangs 174 Reading 2. Coordinated Chaos: The Psychology and Structure of Organized Crime among One Percent Bikers 187 Reading 3. American-Based Biker Gangs: International Organized Crime 204 Reading 4. Hells Angels in Springtime 213 Chapter 5 Drug Trafficking Organizations 227 I. Drug Trafficking Organizations and Cartels 227 II. Mexican Drug Cartels 230 References 231 Readings 231 Reading 1. Drug Violence in Mexico: Data and Analysis from 2001 2009 232 Reading 2. Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Efforts to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels 240 Reading 3. Polarization and Sustained Violence in Mexico s Cartel War 251 Reading 4. The Mexican Drug Cartel Threat in Central America 261 Chapter 6 Dealing with Adult Criminal Gangs and Drug Trafficking Organizations 269 I. Introduction 269 II. Investigation and Prosecution Strategies 269 III. RICO and VICAR Prosecutions of Criminal Enterprises 271 IV. Conclusion 273 References 274 Readings 275 Reading 1. Enterprise Theory of Investigation 275 Reading 2. The Flexibility of RICO and Its Use on Street Gangs Engaging in Organized Crime in the United States 282 Reading 3. Antigang Legislation and Its Potential Impact: The Promises and the Pitfalls 294 Index 313

Acknowledgments The author would like to thank his Canadian friend, Karan Katz. Without your help this project would not have been possible. I would also like to thank the staff of Carolina Academic Press, especially Beth Hall. Your guidance and help smoothed out the laborious publishing process. As always, I express my gratitude to BSJ, who made it all possible. xi