One of the things you need to know to survive years in prison is to watch out for different gangs. Some of these gangs are highly organized and connected with members outside prison.
Below is the list of top 10 most notable and dangerous gangs to watch out for while incarcerated:
1. Aryan Brotherhood
A violent gang made up of about 20,000 members, Aryan Brotherhood’s income is heavily derived from drug dealings in and out of prison. It is a white supremacist group as well as an organized crime syndicate that has an estimate of 10,000 members both in and out of prison. According to the FBI, Aryan Brotherhood or AB is involved in 18% of killings inside federal prisons. The crime syndicate has now focused itself on economic activities that are typical to its nature – namely drug trafficking, inmate prostitution, extortion, and murder-for-hire.
2. Ñeta
Otherwise known as Ñetas, this is the name of the gang that has originated in the Puerto Rican prisons. It has spread its influence to the United States in the past years. In Puerto Rico alone, the said gang is the largest and most dominant gang by far, allowing the gang to control the trade on illegal drugs in the island. Composed of 5,000 members in the US and about 7,000 members in Puerto Rico, Ñeta definitely made it to the top 10 list. They operate in several cities and in nine states in the US. This gang is involved in several crimes such as assault, theft, shootings, home invasion, explosives and weapons trafficking.
3. Barrio Azteca
Otherwise known as Los Aztecas, the said gang was originally based in El Paso, Texas. The gang dates back to 186 in the prisons of El Paso, which spread out into and became a transnational criminal organization. This is the most dangerous gang in the Texan and New Mexican prisons. They are also involved in smuggling of drugs from Mexico into the streets and prisons in the US, specifically in Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. They also engage in arson, extortion, burglary, auto theft, kidnapping and smuggling.
4. Black Guerilla Family
Black Guerilla Family is another one in the top 10 most notable and dangerous gangs to watch out for while incarcerated. The said gang is also known as Black Family or Black Vanguard. It is known to be an African-American street and prison gang. This is an extremely organized gang mainly operating in California and Maryland. Founded by George Jackson and W.L. Nolen, who were incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison in 1966 and currently have about 1000 members and associates, this gang aims to hold all drug dealings in Baltimore.
5. Mexikanemi
This gang is also called Texas Mexican Mafia and is mostly comprised of Mexican to Mexican-American Texan nationals. This gang was formed in the 80s and has now grown to 17,000 members. Its income comes from several drug involvements in the Southwest, most especially in Texas. Other criminal activities that the said gang participates in include extortion, murder, and narcotics trafficking. The gang is a known ally of the Aryan Brotherhood as well as the Mexican Mafia while its known rivals are the Nuestra Familia, Black Vanguard, and Texas Syndicate.
6. Nazi Low Riders
Nazi Low Riders or NLR is a dangerous gang operating in the regions of Pacific and Southwest. It has 1000 to 5000 members in and out of prison and is involved in several crimes such as murder, identity fraud, money laundering and armed robbery. Most of the members of NLR are White Americans with a considerable number of Hispanics. It is a known fact that the primary ally of the Nazi Low Riders is the larger crime syndicate Aryan Brotherhood. They are also in an alliance relationship with the Public Enemy No. 1, Sureños, Mexican Mafia, Vagos Motorcycle Club, and Peckerwood crime syndicates. On the other hand, they have the Crips, the Bloods, and the Black Vanguard as their main rivals.
7. Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos
This is a Hispanic gang founded in Laredo, Texas in the ‘80s. Its founders were Alberto Rodriguez and Joe Mendoza. The name of the gang translates to “Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen”. It currently has about 1000 members operating mainly in Mexico. Their income comes from illegal trafficking of cocaine and cannabis from Mexico into the US.
8. The Texas Syndicate
This criminal syndicate is mostly Texas-based with mostly Hispanic members. There was a time when non-Hispanics were included in their ranks, though. Formed in California’s Folsom prison in the ‘70s, Texas Syndicate (TS) has now grown to 1300 members and about 10,000 associates. The members are mostly of Mexican-American descent. The Texas Syndicate is in an alliance with the Dirty White Boys, Los Zetas, and Texas Mafia. Its known rivals include Mexican Mafia, Aryan Brotherhood, Mexikanemi, Black Guerrilla Family, Puro Tango Blast, Raza Unidas, and Vallucos.
9. Public Enemy Number One
This gang is also known as PEN1 and has been growing quickly in East, West and South coasts. This is definitely one of the top 10 most notable and dangerous gangs to watch out for while incarcerated. PEN1 is known as a “white power” prison gang and is involved in meth distribution. Aside from meth distribution, they also derive their income from identity theft and credit card fraud. They are known to be allied with Aryan Brotherhood and Nazi Low Riders. They are in bad terms with a lot of street gangs, including Crips, Bloods, MS-13, Black Guerrilla Family, Nuestra Familia, Los Angeles Crime Family, Friends Stand United, Jewish Defense League, and Norteños.
10. La Eme
La Eme is the other name for Mexican Mafia formed in 1950s. Despite having “Mexican” in its name, it is not a gang that originated from Mexico. It is a criminal prison syndicate that is entirely based in the United States. It currently has 400 members and 1000 associates and is now considered to be a powerful Californian gang. It is allied with Florencia 13, Aryan Brotherhood, Gulf Cartel, Sureños, MS-13, 18th Street, Sinaloa Cartel, and Armenian Power. Los Zetas, Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, Texas Syndicate, and Black Guerilla Family are just some of the criminal prison organizations that are in opposition to La Eme.
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