cheka.
26th July 2017, 04:13 PM
all mexican in the top tier (top tier = worst of the worst)
62 page study released this month
http://www.texaspolicenews.com/default.aspx?act=Newsletter.aspx&category=News+1-2&newsletterid=67745&menugroup=Home:
The most significant gangs in Texas are Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques (estimated >19,000 members), Latin Kings (estimated >1,300 members), Texas Mexican Mafia (estimated >4,100 members), and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) (estimated >500 members). These Tier 1 gangs pose the greatest gang threat potential based on their cartel relationships, high levels of transnational criminal activity, level of committed violence, and overall statewide strength and presence.
Gang members actively use social media to communicate, boast, and recruit. The popularity of social media has not been lost on gang members, especially with younger generations. Gangs use social networking and video-sharing websites as platforms to brag, recruit, and antagonize rival gang members, while mobile messaging applications are used by gang members to communicate. These include encrypted messaging platforms whose use by gang members challenges law enforcement agencies’ ability to investigate and collect criminal intelligence information.
(U) Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques, Latin Kings, Texas Mexican Mafia, and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) remain Tier 1 gangs in Texas. These four gangs continue to pose the greatest gang threat to Texas due to their relationships with Mexican cartels, consistent transnational criminal activity, statewide presence, and a high propensity for violence, among other significant factors.
(U) This marks the first year Texas Syndicate ranks as a Tier 2 threat, after previously ranking Tier 1 since 2010. Contributing factors to their downgrade include recent law enforcement investigations severely disrupting the gang, as well as the role Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques have played in diminishing their power within and outside of prison.
(U) Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques remain as the greatest statewide gang threat. The gang, with their lax membership structure, continues to grow largely unrestricted both inside and outside the Texas prison system. When combined, Tango Blast and Tango cliques have the largest membership levels in Texas, and even individual cliques are outnumbering most gangs. Tango members engage in a variety of crimes across the state, including transnational crimes along the Mexico border.
The threat from Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) has continued from the previous year, solidifying their Tier 1 ranking status. MS-13 remains the most encountered gang illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley, though the number has decreased slightly since the border influx of illegal aliens in 2014. Although law enforcement actions in Houston and Dallas have had an impact on the gang’s activities in those cities, the threat of this violent gang still causes concern for public safety.
(U) Despite a major operation dismantling the Latin Kings in Central Texas, the gang sustains a Tier 1 ranking in 2016. The Latin Kings have a significant presence in many suburban and rural areas of Texas, enabling them to engage in the illicit drug market and other criminal activity. Of major concern is their direct connection with the violent Chicago-based Latin Kings, who provide the gang with unique advantages, such as resources and structure, not afforded to most other Texas gangs.
(U) Gang Violence in Harris County (Houston)
(U) Harris County contains the highest concentration of identified and suspected gang activity in Texas.
Nearly every DPS evaluated tiered threat gang in Texas has reported activity in Harris County, including all Tier 1 gangs. The most significant gangs in Harris County are the Houstone Tango Blast and various sets of Crips and Bloods, including the 52 Hoover Crips and the 59 Bounty Hunters Bloods. Harris County also contains the highest reported membership of MS-13. Houston-area officials identify several local gangs, such as Southwest Cholos, La Primera, and 5th Ward Circle, as also having a significant presence.
(U) As of December 31, 2016, gang members from Harris County accounted for 17% of the confirmed and suspected gang members incarcerated within the TDCJ prison system, making Harris County the top originating county for incarcerated gang offenders in the state. The next highest county was Dallas, representing 11% of the gang population. Among gang members incarcerated for violent crimes, Harris County gang offenders accounted for 18% of all gang incarcerations due to violent crimes, also more than any other county in Texas.
U) Tier 1: Tango Blast and Tango Cliques
(U) Tango Blast and its associated cliques are located in most metropolitan areas across Texas. Tango Blast first established as a self-protection group against more structured prison gangs, such as the TMM and Texas Syndicate. Tangos have since grown exponentially and continue to boast the highest membership numbers among Texas prison gangs. Their rapid evolution, high level of criminal activity, propensity for violence, and relationships with Mexican cartels positions Tangos as the most significant gang threat to Texas.
(U) Tier 1: Latin Kings
(U) The Latin Kings is a violent street gang originating from Chicago, Illinois, in the early 1960s. Originally created to overcome racial prejudice, the gang soon became and continues to be a criminal force. The gang migrated into Texas shortly after its creation and began to open local chapters. Due to its interstate structure and criminal growth, Latin Kings is a continuous threat to the State of Texas.
(U) Tier 1: Texas Mexican Mafia
(U) The TMM formed within the Texas prison system in 1984 as a means for inmates to protect themselves from the Texas Syndicate. They have since grown into one of the most dominant and disciplined gangs in Texas. Despite continuous law enforcement targeting, the TMM has upheld its membership size, commitment to the gang, and involvement in violent crimes. The TMM will likely continue to remain organizationally effective and engage in criminal activity, and thus remain one of Texas’ most significant gangs.
(U) Tier 1: Mara Salvatrucha
(U) MS-13 formed on the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s as a way for Salvadorian immigrants to protect themselves from other street gangs in the area. MS-13 is now arguably the most recognized transnational street gang in the world, with ongoing command, control, and coordination between gang leaders and cliques in several different countries. While the increase in the presence of the MS-13 grows, it appears that Texas is continually used a transitional zone, as gang members are traveling onward to the U.S. East coast. The increase in violent activity in Texas along with the constant influx of illegal members crossing into the state exemplifies the gang’s Tier 1 threat level.
62 page study released this month
http://www.texaspolicenews.com/default.aspx?act=Newsletter.aspx&category=News+1-2&newsletterid=67745&menugroup=Home:
The most significant gangs in Texas are Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques (estimated >19,000 members), Latin Kings (estimated >1,300 members), Texas Mexican Mafia (estimated >4,100 members), and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) (estimated >500 members). These Tier 1 gangs pose the greatest gang threat potential based on their cartel relationships, high levels of transnational criminal activity, level of committed violence, and overall statewide strength and presence.
Gang members actively use social media to communicate, boast, and recruit. The popularity of social media has not been lost on gang members, especially with younger generations. Gangs use social networking and video-sharing websites as platforms to brag, recruit, and antagonize rival gang members, while mobile messaging applications are used by gang members to communicate. These include encrypted messaging platforms whose use by gang members challenges law enforcement agencies’ ability to investigate and collect criminal intelligence information.
(U) Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques, Latin Kings, Texas Mexican Mafia, and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) remain Tier 1 gangs in Texas. These four gangs continue to pose the greatest gang threat to Texas due to their relationships with Mexican cartels, consistent transnational criminal activity, statewide presence, and a high propensity for violence, among other significant factors.
(U) This marks the first year Texas Syndicate ranks as a Tier 2 threat, after previously ranking Tier 1 since 2010. Contributing factors to their downgrade include recent law enforcement investigations severely disrupting the gang, as well as the role Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques have played in diminishing their power within and outside of prison.
(U) Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques remain as the greatest statewide gang threat. The gang, with their lax membership structure, continues to grow largely unrestricted both inside and outside the Texas prison system. When combined, Tango Blast and Tango cliques have the largest membership levels in Texas, and even individual cliques are outnumbering most gangs. Tango members engage in a variety of crimes across the state, including transnational crimes along the Mexico border.
The threat from Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) has continued from the previous year, solidifying their Tier 1 ranking status. MS-13 remains the most encountered gang illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley, though the number has decreased slightly since the border influx of illegal aliens in 2014. Although law enforcement actions in Houston and Dallas have had an impact on the gang’s activities in those cities, the threat of this violent gang still causes concern for public safety.
(U) Despite a major operation dismantling the Latin Kings in Central Texas, the gang sustains a Tier 1 ranking in 2016. The Latin Kings have a significant presence in many suburban and rural areas of Texas, enabling them to engage in the illicit drug market and other criminal activity. Of major concern is their direct connection with the violent Chicago-based Latin Kings, who provide the gang with unique advantages, such as resources and structure, not afforded to most other Texas gangs.
(U) Gang Violence in Harris County (Houston)
(U) Harris County contains the highest concentration of identified and suspected gang activity in Texas.
Nearly every DPS evaluated tiered threat gang in Texas has reported activity in Harris County, including all Tier 1 gangs. The most significant gangs in Harris County are the Houstone Tango Blast and various sets of Crips and Bloods, including the 52 Hoover Crips and the 59 Bounty Hunters Bloods. Harris County also contains the highest reported membership of MS-13. Houston-area officials identify several local gangs, such as Southwest Cholos, La Primera, and 5th Ward Circle, as also having a significant presence.
(U) As of December 31, 2016, gang members from Harris County accounted for 17% of the confirmed and suspected gang members incarcerated within the TDCJ prison system, making Harris County the top originating county for incarcerated gang offenders in the state. The next highest county was Dallas, representing 11% of the gang population. Among gang members incarcerated for violent crimes, Harris County gang offenders accounted for 18% of all gang incarcerations due to violent crimes, also more than any other county in Texas.
U) Tier 1: Tango Blast and Tango Cliques
(U) Tango Blast and its associated cliques are located in most metropolitan areas across Texas. Tango Blast first established as a self-protection group against more structured prison gangs, such as the TMM and Texas Syndicate. Tangos have since grown exponentially and continue to boast the highest membership numbers among Texas prison gangs. Their rapid evolution, high level of criminal activity, propensity for violence, and relationships with Mexican cartels positions Tangos as the most significant gang threat to Texas.
(U) Tier 1: Latin Kings
(U) The Latin Kings is a violent street gang originating from Chicago, Illinois, in the early 1960s. Originally created to overcome racial prejudice, the gang soon became and continues to be a criminal force. The gang migrated into Texas shortly after its creation and began to open local chapters. Due to its interstate structure and criminal growth, Latin Kings is a continuous threat to the State of Texas.
(U) Tier 1: Texas Mexican Mafia
(U) The TMM formed within the Texas prison system in 1984 as a means for inmates to protect themselves from the Texas Syndicate. They have since grown into one of the most dominant and disciplined gangs in Texas. Despite continuous law enforcement targeting, the TMM has upheld its membership size, commitment to the gang, and involvement in violent crimes. The TMM will likely continue to remain organizationally effective and engage in criminal activity, and thus remain one of Texas’ most significant gangs.
(U) Tier 1: Mara Salvatrucha
(U) MS-13 formed on the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s as a way for Salvadorian immigrants to protect themselves from other street gangs in the area. MS-13 is now arguably the most recognized transnational street gang in the world, with ongoing command, control, and coordination between gang leaders and cliques in several different countries. While the increase in the presence of the MS-13 grows, it appears that Texas is continually used a transitional zone, as gang members are traveling onward to the U.S. East coast. The increase in violent activity in Texas along with the constant influx of illegal members crossing into the state exemplifies the gang’s Tier 1 threat level.