Harris County Sheriff’s OfficeGANG UNIT

Over 25,000 documented members

Concentration of gang activity in Texas

Map based on information compiled from multiple sources, showing the concentration of gang activity across

Texas. The absence of shading in a county does not necessarily indicate the absence of gang activity.

Harris County

Observations

Look at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, - observe his pleasures.

A man simply cannot HIDE himself.

Confucius

Gangster 101

• Important to know “diss names” to help identify the different gangs

• Slang

• Numbers exchanged for letters

Houstone – Puro Tango Blast

PTB 16 20 2

• Wide expansion due to DTO game & TDC/FED connections

• If you ain’t Blastin, you ain’t Lasting

• BLAST = Be Loyal And Stand Tall

“the 4 Horsemen”

Protection Group?

Vallucos• Major ties to RGV & Texas cities -

• DTO activity

NICKNAMES: VALLUCO

LOCATION: CAMERON, HILDALGO, STARR, and WILLACY COUNTIES. Also SOUTH PADRE ISLAND.

STARR CO. HILDAGO CO.

WILLACY CO.

CAMERON CO.

PADRE ISLAND

956

• “V” hand-sign

• 22 = letter V

• Valluco style

• “PALMAS”

BLOODS

• Located throughout Texas/Harris County

59 Bounty Hunter Bloods 282 or BHB

Bloods graffiti

B L OODS

887 887 = TTP

Tree Top Piru Bloods

Using standard phone key pad as a code.

5 2 Hoover Crips - 52HC

CRIPS - 837

Coded Gang letter

HOOVAS, Hoova Groova

Rollin 60’s

Rollin 60’s

LATIN KINGS

ALKQN

VICE LORDS

• ALVN

• People Nation

• 5 point crown/Stars

• Red Black & Gold

• Other symbols associated w/Nation

FOLK NATION

NORTENOS 14

SOUTHWEST CHOLOS• Located - Harris Co. & Texas

• Alien Smuggling - Victoria Texas

SWC X3

Southwest Cholos 5 of 8 - female

Paleta Killa

Colors:

Signs: 7400 Bissonnet - 90th Street (Beechnut)

La Primera

45 seconds initiation; Call themselves 74’s or 90’s

90st - LP

LP Hand SignWhite Rag

Rival – Diss terms

LPK – La Primera Killer – La Paleta Killer

PK - Paleta Killer

MSK – Mierda Seca Killer – Mara Salvatrucha Killer

CK – Crip Killer

BPK – Brown Pride Killer

SURENOS - SUR13

Flea Market

California Surenos

• Received national attention by traveling & fighting in Mid East conflict.

• Worldwide reach

• Mexicanemi (Texas Mexican Mafia)

• California Mexican Mafia “Black hand”

• Working relationship

Mara Salvatrucha 13

• International connections

• Extremely violent

• BESTIA – Train

• Refer to the gang as “the Beast”

MS-13

Blue – White

Barrio Eighteen Street – 18th

• BEST

• Black/Grey

• Raiders

LA TERCERA CRIPS - LTC

Location: all 5 county districts

Graffiti

• Gangs: recruitment, intimidation, claiming area/territory

• Generally crude with little artistic ability

• Message is MORE important than style!

• Gang message takes priority over the individual

Graffiti

• Taggers: Art is NOT a Crime.

• Fame, recognition, status among peers

Some degree of artistic abilitymulti-colored, bubble letters

Drug Trafficking Org.

• Local gang connection to move Drugs, Guns Currency & Human cargo

• Loose connection, not long term or rigid contract

• Military tactics, counter surveil, Convoy discipline

• Technology is HUGE with these groups

DTO’s

Altars - prayer cards

Cartel presence in Texas

• CDG – Gulf Cartel

• Zetas – Los Z

• Sinaloa – CDS

• Narco Culture

• Entertainment Industry

Open Source

Blog De Narco

Borderland Beat

Bandidos

• Locations: Texas & USA

• Lone star Rally & the ROT /Austin

Social Media

• 13 – XIII – X3

• Trece – 3CE

• Learn each search platform, experiment w/lingo that you have obtained via Interviews or other methods.

• Using BLVD3CE I was able to find...

• Jose BLVD3CE Gonzales

This is a known nickname of the SWC 13 gang

Officer Safety

• If you fail to prepare, Prepare to Fail

• Do your homework before your home visit, warrant service, Interview, etc.

BE AWARE…!

Research methods

• Interviews – CHS

• TLO – CLEAR

• Local databases

• Network w/other agencies

• Internet FB Twitter Instagram - Gold Mine!

• Lingo particular to certain gangs!

Gang card

• Does your agency allow it?

• Training for good interviews?

• Mentor program

• Good interview is broken down into 2 parts

• (what I need – what I want)

• *Prosecution Enhancement*

Gang Associations

• Tx Gang Inv Assoc (TGIA.net)

• Tx Violent Gang Task Force

Burman, Michelle (michelle.burman@texasattorneygeneral.gov)

C O N T A C T S

W. Allen RoushHarris County Sheriff’s Office

Gang Intelligence Unit

Warner.Roush@Sheriff.hctx.net