Again, we're listing a terrorist group among gangs, as their activities and methods are similar, but they just operate on a somewhat grander scale. Texas Syndicate Members In San Antonio Indicted On Racketeering Charges Charges allege responsibility for four murders, three attempted murders and drug distribution . Sandoval is one of more than sixty TDCJ guards who have been indicted by McDonalds Special Prison Prosecution Unit over the past six years for felony offenses. Meet the Barrio Azteca gang, considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Texas. In many places, it is normal to get "jumped in." Lighting an inmates cigarette is considered an act of friendship or favoritism, and favoritism is forbidden by TDCJ rules. Juan Carlos Castilleja, age 29 of New Braunfels, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; Roman Gabriel Luna, age 34 of Austin, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine/one kilogram of heroin; Brandon Carrasco, age 21 of Kenedy, TX, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; David Cantu, age 46 of Gonzales, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; John Vera, age 26 of Gonzales, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Josh Vera, age 26 of Gonzales, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Lisa Anzaldua, age 31 of Luling, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Noemi Medina, age 25 of Seguin, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Paul Villarreal, age 45 of Luling, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Michael Armstead, age 47 of San Marcos, less than 50 grams of methamphetamine; Steven Klasing, age 37 of Austin, less than 50 grams of methamphetamine/less than 100 grams of heroin; Rafael Salas, age 38 of San Antonio, one kilogram or more of heroin; and. These tattoos commonly include cuernos (horns), and words containing the letters T and S. After building tenders disappeared due to a court order, the Syndicate's activities turned to drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, protection, illegal gambling, and contract killing. Then hed say, Damn, I wish I had twenty dollars to go buy a couple of beers. And Id say, Just wait here, Ill be back. And Id collect fifty dollars for him. One of the first things that often happen when these kids are taken is that the local leaders will take them back to their villages and force them tokill their parents. As to everything he had told his investigatorsnone of that was true either, he said. Categories Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. Convicts made primitive ovens out of foil-lined cardboard boxes equipped with a light bulb, and cooked deer or rabbit killed by inmates working in the fields. He did so and, he told me, was then given $50 by the inmates. So wed just lay back, let him cool down. The attorney was advised that his client would never again wear gray in a state penal institution. First, they have to kill a rival gang member, and once their kill has been confirmed, they are brutally beaten by other members while local leaders count to thirteen slowly. They are primarily poor children and in some cases orphans. The United Blood Nation, who still operate to this day in New York, was a gang started back in the early 1990's to protect members from Puerto Rican and Hispanic gangs, such as the Latin Kings and Netas. Members consider it to be an offense against the organization for a nonmember to have a TS tattoo or assert membership in the Texas Syndicate prior to becoming a full member. Most gangs will just have their way with female members (referred to as s*xed-in) who want to join. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America, Report Waste, Fraud, Abuse or Misconduct to the Inspector General, Find Help and Information for Crime Victims, Register, Apply for Permits, or Request Records. He just got involved with the wrong people.. Yet a former prison drug-runner confirmed the obviousthat without the help of TDCJ employees, the flow of drugs into state prisons would dry up. The Farmer.For this one farmer the worries are over, lie down and rest your head, Your time has been and struggles enough, put the tractor in the shed. He had a one-week prison furlough coming up; the gang didnt want to spook him, fearing that he might not return to Ellis I. Throughout the Sandoval trial, guards on the witness stand were asked if they had ever stopped a gang member from murdering an inmate. Sources:NY Post, Free Republic, Vice, LA Times, PBS, VOA News, Daily Caller, Boston.com, International Business Times. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The experiences of being involved in Prison Gangs. One of them is fear. Push inevitably came to shove: In two separate gang confrontations, the Texans murdered one California inmate and seriously wounded another. Tango Blast, Aryan Brotherhood and Aryan Circle are the most active prison gangs in the region. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. The drug trade was lucrative, and Sandoval always seemed to be hurting for money. It took months before someone looked closely at the gas mask featured on the patch and realized that every correctional officer at the unit had been wearing the letters TS across his forehead. The Bloods and the Crips will likely adapt to their new environment just as other inmates do. The question was when. Prison Gangs, affecting American Prisons atLarge. This time, however, four Internal Affairs officers greeted him inside by reading him his rights and charging him with murder. If the recruit answers, "I will share my umbrella," he is deemed unworthy of membership and becomes a s*x slave. When cocaine was cheap, he sold coke; when pure coke became scarce and heroin became abundant, Garcia seized the opportunity. There are examples of people dying or being seriously injured during initiation stunts gone wrong. The so-called "hybrid members" allow the gangs to grow their empires with increased influence both in prisons and on the streets. And the courier must possess a particular power: He must be able to walk through walls. The 1985 lockdown put a damper on the atmosphere but not on the flow of drugs. The gang, like most prison gangs, has members behind bars and members on the outside, and as of the 2000's, had membership that was in the thousands (about 7,000 in 2005). A federal grand jury indictment, returned in Austin and unsealed yesterday, charges those arrested with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Then, the new recruit is expected to participate in the kill. 01-07-00443-CR (Tex. Everyone wanted informationon the inmates, on their superiors, on their peers. The system snitches on one mule while protecting another. When Sandoval told me that, he was sitting in the interrogation room of the Walker County jail in Huntsville, wearing prison whites. At the close of the eighth hour, the shift changes, but the inmates remain. Whos on trial here, Louie? demanded the intense and steely-eyed chief prosecutor, Travis McDonald, during his two-hour grilling of Luis Sandoval on May 24, 1991. Members of the Texas Syndicate regularly hold meetings (sometimes referred to as barbeques or juntas) where members discuss and vote on important decisions. With what was left of his final J.C. Penney paycheck, Sandoval and his cousin drove to Las Vegas, a place Sandoval had always yearned to visit. The guard said he wasnt tied to anyone. DPS also cited the 2014 indictment of 55 Barrio Azteca members and associates as handicapping the gang's effectiveness. The threat being that they will show it to that person's family members, destroying them in the eyes of those they love. The five-foot-six, soft-voiced young man had spent most of his life in the South Texas town of Alice, where blacks were scarcely seen. Berry) Like fat-bellied ships heavily laden with riches, our 19 ewes lie uncomfortably at anchor, waiting to be offloaded. If the Texas Syndicate had told him there was a murder happening, he wouldnt have gone for it. New recruits who hoped to join the Knights Templar have been forced to eat a child's heart in order to prove their loyalty to the cause. There was no further violence, a signal to those who understood gang behavior that Arredondo had been snuffed out by one of his own rather than by a rival gang. To keep him at ease, the Texas Syndicate requested that the inmate return from his furlough with two hundred dollars worth of heroin and marijuana. Youll drain all the blood to his head. Three other officers arrived on the scene. The Texas Syndicates control of those in prison is so far-reaching that members both in and out of prison follow a procedure by which the TS ensure that members are not and have not been police informants. Unlike most state crises, there is absolutely no mystery to the takeover of our prisons by violent gangs. Ranking structure : Paramilitary/Buisness Territory : Houston . texas syndicate initiation. The next day, a Sunday, the newlyweds threw their possessions into a suitcase and a grocery bag, and drove Sandovals Datsun to Conroe. When Luis Sandoval went to work for the Texas prison system, he did the wrong favors for the wrong people. It revealed a world where drugs and weapons are freely available to inmates, where murderous prison gangs control inmate behavior far more than prison guards do, and where the guardians of law and order have just as much trouble distinguishing right from wrong as do the inmates they are watching. DPS says the 2014 arrest of cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes diminished the gangs influence. Leave them blank to get signed up. Id say about eighty percent of the inmates knew he was dealing clamed one inmate who was close to the action. The purpose of the enterprise include the following: a) Enriching the members and associates of the enterprise through, among other things, distribution of narcotics, extortion and robbery; b) Preserving and protecting the power, territory and profits of the enterprise through the use of intimidation, violence, threats of violence, assaults and murder; c) Promoting and enhancing the enterprise and its members and associates activities; d) Maintaining a powerful organization that can protect members and provide financial opportunities through criminal activity; e) Keeping victims in fear of the enterprise and in fear of its members and associates through threats of violence and violence. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. On the witness stand, Sandoval suggested that the caller was someone from TDCJ Internal Affairs; more likely, he was a Texas Syndicate member delivering the message that the TS would not be amused if Sandoval blew the whistle on their activities. Inmates fashioned shanks out of road signs, door hinges, food trays, typewriter platen rods, and field equipment. The Aryan Brotherhood is a white supremacist gang that operates primarily within the federal prison system in the United States. In some cases, a recruit is instructed to kill two people; either way, a murder is involved. The warden would later testify that Sandovals actions were somewhat heroic. But, Peterson added, the hero had seemed awfully calm in the midst of all the bloodshedperhaps too calm. Texas chain with San Antonio bakeries files for bankruptcy, Report: San Antonio Rep. 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Mungiki is a religious/ethnic sect in Kenya. They now have allegiances with other gangs and have a membership in the thousands throughout the southern United States. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated, following a one-car accident that left his limbs temporarily paralyzed. TI was developed in 2010 in an effort to create a new breed of automobile competition. I just want to take care of my business, he would tell gang members who tried to recruit him. We in the free world classify inmates according to motivation: those who do not wish to live a life of crime and those who know no other life; those who wish only to do their time and get out and those who function best in a kill-or-be-killed environment. Sandoval marveled at the river of red the inmate had left behind. But the evidence gathered by Justice clearly added up to a violation of the Eight Amendments protection from cruel and unusual punishment. By that time, things were quiet again at Ellis I. He did not turn himself in. [4][5], The Texas Syndicate was established at Folsom State Prison in California in 1978 in direct response to the other California prison gangs, notably the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia, which were attempting to prey on native Texas inmates. Of course, sometimes a hazing ritual goes too far. Looking toward the chapel, he could see Crippin ahead of him, heading for the hidden narrow corridor at the west end of the B-wing. Alcohol was forbidden, yet chock, or homemade wine, was made in a variety of ways in cells, the crudest method being by letting food wrapped in a plastic bag fester in a toilet tank. Everyone agreed that the building tender system was a cheap and crudely effective method of maintaining order. (Officials also say the Texas Syndicate is far more selective and does not, for example, recruit homosexuals.) This is a carousel. Prisoners join gangs, thereby becoming strong, and prey upon the weak. In 1978, in California, making the Texas Syndicate the oldest prison gang in Texas' history. Such retribution helps enforce loyalty of the organization which is necessary for ensuring the smooth running of the drug distribution business as well as maintaining discipline within the enterprise. At about five-thirty that afternoon, Sandoval approached CO II Cade Crippin, who was inside a cellblock, observing the inmates. By the end of the eighties, the public fretting over prison gangs had dissipated. Such communication is often through letters and telephone calls. Later, Vicente asked the guard if a free world individual could mail Sandoval two money orders, which Sandoval would cash and then bring the $250 to the inmates. Not only was the event novel at the time, it started the trend of airfield racing across the country. Syndicate Initiation: Bradbury Fields (Everfall) Syndicate Initiation: Dayspring Mills (First Light) Syndicate Initiation: Abadier's Anger (Monarch's Bluffs) Syndicate Initiations occur when the Syndicate are chosen as a player's faction . Assistant U.S. A relative newcomer in the world of criminal gangs, the Knights Templar Cartel, which operates in Mexico, was officially founded in 2011 after the disbanding ofLa Familia Michiacana. For several days, Sandoval read the Bible and considered his options. This coded language is often hidden in an otherwise meaningless letter or telephone call. The youth gangs havent caused trouble yet, but the realities of prison life suggest that this will surely change. Look, man, I think Im being watched, Sandoval told Garcia the next day. Dont go in there, said the veteran, who then correctly hollered Fight! Presently other guards arrived, along with a lieutenant, who ordered, Open the gate.. The strict rules and harsh discipline governing the Texas Syndicate help insure that the organizations members and associates function as a continuing unit despite any changes in membership. Initiation into the group comes from other members, and members are required to make a life-long commitment. The TS will not hesitate to kill anyone who interferes with the business of the gang or who commits a violation of Texas Syndicate rules. And in March 1991, McDonalds prosecution force indicted yet another Ellis I guard. Inside the walls of each prison is drugs, prostitution, gambling, extortion, and grand theft, but no investigation into any of these things has ever been made. The letter did not say what such an investigation would say about Luis Sandoval. Roughly 33 percent of gang members entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system in 2014 were from the southeast Texas region, with 90 percent of those coming from Greater Houston. Sandoval took a step toward the crashgate but was held back by the more experienced guard. His refusal would prompt the reply, Then Ill tell your supervisor about when you lit my cigarette., At first the young guard spurned the inmates who pestered him, and threatened to write them up for disciplinary action. The order to kill has been given to men as young as 14, with one kid missing his target and then getting killed by police. TS members will also assist a fellow member in this pending criminal case. Jun 29, 2022. ogden clinic cardiology . Receipt of inmates on interstate compact and the current membership in groups with Hispanic and Latino supremacy ideology lend to the threat of an organizing TS within our facilities. While accurate numbers are difficult to come up with (do we include associates or just full members? [2] The Syndicate is the oldest Texan prison gang. Six weeks later, in December 1987, Luis Sandoval was terminated from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The thought worked away at his nerves. Other gangs have a voting system to determine whether the member is initiated or not. His neck had been slashed; his head was all but severed. Seventeen San Antonio-based members of the Texas (TS) have been charged by federal grand jury indictment with conspiring to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt (RICO . Attorneys Matt Harding and Dan Guess are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government. (After the trial, Sandoval became less talkative on the subject of drugs. In his first year on the job, Luis Sandoval found himself delivering drugs to a self-described drug runner on behalf of the states deadliest prison gang, the Texas Syndicate. (LogOut/ Many prison gangs have a generalized standard of who to accept. They specialize in the usual street crimes including robbery, car theft, drug trafficking, assault, and murder, but the 18th Street Gang is also known to have been involved with human trafficking and illegal immigration initiatives. a. being sexed in. Rival gang members may also be referred to in the feminine form. Were he to pay his old workplace a visit, Luis Sandoval would notice several changes at Ellis I. Some, but not all, TS members have TS tattoos. In 2011, the FBI reported that Barrio Azteca also had members in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. [1], The history of the group and documented acts of violence in other jurisdictions warrant their certification as a Security Threat Group. McCool opened the picket gate to allow Sandoval into the rest room. Then he headed for the bathroom, a route that took him through a confined area guarded by CO II Nolan McCool. The investigators didnt tell me much, nor was I particularly inquisitive, he said. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. texas syndicate initiation. Perhaps it was because Vicente was so quiet and servile or perhaps he had such a talent for lingering that the porters simply paid him no mind. The gang is commonly referred to as Sindicato Tejano, Ese Te, Twisted Sister, Teresa Sanchez and Cuernos. Nearly all of them, however, confessed that they knew TDCJ had its share of dirty guards. None of them knew anything about Sandoval and drugs. Not one of them said that Sandoval was a bad officer; many, in fact, went out of their way to laud his abilities. It was not the most hospitable climate for trust, which was something Sandoval felt inclined to consider when Armando Garcia and Vicente held out a letter and asked Sandoval to mail it for them. Once out of prison, many TS members continue to commit violent offenses, narcotics-related offenses, and other illegal activities in the area of the country where the members are living and associating with each other. Texas Syndicate. [1], Development of the Texas Syndicate was initially motivated by self-protection against the historical "building tenders" in prison. The 18 second beating is a theme for this gang, and they often employ it as a disciplinary measure when proper respect isn't shown to a leading member or if a member goes against the gang's rules. College Fraternities are a basis of social support and are a useful means of college students to feel part of a group and not isolated from other college students. After the lockdown, the murder rate plunged. The Triad is the most widely-recognized of Chinese gangs and has chapters all over the world; basically anywhere in which there is a large Chinese community. Sometimes, members who have a problem or muleta that they need to work off in order to achieve better status with the TS are called upon to perform the ordered task. Today supervisors advise guards: We cannot stop a hit. The recruitment techniques of gangs vary from gang to gang, but generally, they have some common recruitment techniques and requirements. The guard made the call, apparently unaware that such messages, and the letters, might contain coded instructions from a prison drug-runner to a high-ranking member of the Texas Syndicate. And as you work there, you tend to become a product of your environment. Its a society all its own. By the spring of 1986, prison officials had examined every inmate for telltale tattoos, weeded out identifiable gang members, and ordered that they spend the rest of their sentences in administrative segregation, away from the general population. One day Garcia told Sandoval to expect a call at home that evening. To the newer guards, Sandovals stature among the inmates was something to behold. Theyre gonna be looking at you, and all that stuff in the past is gonna come up. 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Louie would love nothing more than to be a guard again, Fischer told them. The relationships between gangs and cartels are constant, but show no particular loyalties or allegiances. (Fong 41) This requirement, which exists in the case of the Texas Syndicate and Mexican Mafia for example, serves as a means of sponsorship, so therefore anyone interested in joining the gang, their trustworthiness can be verified if a current gang member is familiar with them. Do they spread their message and beliefs through peaceful interaction and pamphlets? Aventus has hired you to lure the altered wolves to Midnight Den and cull them, then meet him at the Syndicate Enclave to the north-east when you are finished. Several weeks after the jurys verdict, he told me over the phone that he wished to recant everything he had said to me on tape about his involvement with drugs. Officials knew this meant that every day from three-thirty until after chow time, activities in the narrow corridor went unmonitored. Yes, he had mailed Vicentes letters, had cashed two money orders for the inmate, and on three different occasions, had delivered packages from a parking lot to a telephone booth. Syndicate Initiation : Over The Cliffs, And Through The Woods - New WordJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW2N5MbCNEM. Tango Blast, Texas Syndicate, Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples and MS-13 all were identified as active in human smuggling operations in 2014. The first major TDCJ gang, a Hispanic group known as the Texans, consisted of former residents who were doing time in California penal institutions in the mid-seventies. All of above. The next day, Sandoval recalled, I walked into work feeling good. Finally, in areas in which the Gangster Disciples (a rival gang) operate, groups of Latin Kings may drive around showing GD hand symbols and then carry out a drive-by shooting on anyone who flashes the signal back. Arredondo was a Texas Syndicate member. Sandoval figured the odds were about even. Pursuant to this objective, members act to protect each other and to build a strong, disciplined organization through intimidation and violent retribution against outsiders and through strict and harsh discipline of members and associates who violate the rules and goals of the enterprise. Take over the hallway for me, Sandoval said to his subordinate while handing him his keys. Word spread that the Texans were a force to contend with. West Texas Syndicate Energy is an energy company with practical and futuristic goals, continuing to push environmental-friendly and pioneering technologies in more traditional energy endeavors. In the tenements across the street from the Texas A&I University stadium lived a fifteen-year-old girl named Veronica, whom he married on June 22, 1985, after learning that TDCJ had accepted his application for employment as a correctional officer, or CO. It criticized TDCJs good ol boy system, which Sandoval claimed has ruled with an iron fist since the penal system was first established. Hispanic guards, he said, were either coerced into quitting or found doing something wrong. Supervisors treated inmates like animals. He further wrote, I am not the only one who worked there that knows that TDCJ is linked to the gangs and their illegal activities.

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