Sureños Explained

Sureños
Founded:[1]
Founders:-->
Founding Location:Southern California, United States[2]
Years Active:1967–present
Territory:35 U.S. states[3]
Ethnicity:Mexican American[4] [5]
Activities:Drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, extortion, robbery, auto theft, fraud, homicide, assault[6]
Allies:
Rivals:
Notable Members:

Sureños (pronounced as /es/; Spanish for Southerners)‍, also known as Southern United Raza, Sur 13 or Sureños X3, are groups of loosely affiliated gangs[36] that pay tribute to the Mexican Mafia while in U.S. state and federal correctional facilities. Many Sureño gangs have rivalries with one another, and the only time this rivalry is set aside is when they enter the prison system.[37] [38] Thus, fighting is common among different Sureño gangs even though they share the same common identity. Sureños have emerged as a national gang in the United States.

History

Mexican American street gangs originated in Los Angeles in the early 1900s as a result of various factors, including economic conditions and racial prejudice. In 1957, the Mexican Mafia (or La Eme), California's first prison gang, was established by Luis "Huerro Buff" Flores and other East Los Angeles gang members, at the Deuel Vocational Institution. The Mexican Mafia was formed, in part, for protection from other groups in the prison population, and recruited its members from Mexican American street gangs. A rivalry subsequently developed between Mexican American inmates from Southern California and those from Northern California. The Southern gang members viewed Mexican Americans from rural, agricultural areas in Northern California with contempt and considered them to be unsophisticated and weak, while the Northerners considered those from Southern California to be overly Americanized.[2] By 1967, La Eme was attempting to unify all Mexican American gangs in California, and a concerted effort was made to end rivalries between various groups and amalgamate them into the state's largest prison gang. However, the rivalry between Northerners and Southerners was solidified by an incident in which a Mexican Mafia member in San Quentin State Prison fatally stabbed his cellmate—a Mexican American from Northern California—in a dispute over a pair of shoes. The Northerners then formed the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang for protection from the Mexican Mafia, the Southern gang.[1]

To distinguish themselves from the agricultural workers from Northern California, Mexican Mafia (La Eme) members began to refer to the gang members who worked for them as Sureños, a Spanish term meaning "Southerners". Inmates from Northern California who were affiliated with the Nuestra Familia became known as Norteños, or "Northerners".[2] Although Sureños were established in 1968, the term was not used until the 1970s as a result of the continued conflict between the Mexican Mafia and the Nuestra Familia in California's prison system.[6] When a Sureño is asked what being a Sureño means, members answer: "A Sureño is a foot soldier for the Mexican Mafia."[39] As a result of these prison wars, all Hispanic California street gangs align themselves with the Sureño or Norteño movements with very few exceptions (such as the Fresno Bulldogs, and the Maravilla gangs of East Los Angeles).[4] Due to its membership size, the Fresno Bulldogs is the only Hispanic gang in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that is able to remain independent.[2]

Description

Territory

The Sureño's main stronghold is in southern California. They have a heavy presence in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Utah. They have a smaller presence in Illinois, Oklahoma, Georgia, Oregon and Washington, and some have spread as far east as New York.[40] Sureños have been documented in the U.S. military, found in both U.S. and overseas bases.[41] They also can be found in some parts of Mexico. Sureños also maintain relationships with various drug trafficking organizations based in Mexico.[6] [42] [37] They have been confirmed in 35 different states in the U.S.[43] They are with the Gulf Cartel.[18]

The statewide north–south dividing line between Norteños and Sureños has roughly been accepted as the cities of Bakersfield and Delano.[44] Sureños' strongholds in Upstate California are usually in Santa Rosa and Modesto due to a high Mexican immigrant population in those cities. Sureños in Los Angeles refer to their members in Central California as "Central Sureños" and Sureños refer to their members in northern California as "Upstate Sureños".

Etymology and characteristics

While sur is the Spanish word for south, among Sureños "SUR" also stands for Southern United Raza.[45] Sureños use the number 13—which represents the letter "M", the thirteenth letter of the alphabet—in order to mark their allegiance to the Mexican Mafia.[3] [6] [46] Common Sureño gang markings and/or tattoos include (but are not limited to): SUR, XIII, X3, 13, Sur13, Uno Tres, Trece and three dots arranged like those on a game die.[46] Although there are many tattoos used by Sureños, there is only one tattoo that proves or validates membership. The X3 tag can also be commonly spotted in graffiti. The word Sureño or Sureña must be earned.[6] Most Sureños are of Mexican descent, but some Sureño gangs allow members from various other ethnic backgrounds to join their ranks, making Sureños multiethnic.[6] They also favor blue or grey sport clothing, such as Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Rams and sometimes Los Angeles Lakers. Upstate Sureños, however, wear Dallas Cowboys, San Jose Sharks and Oakland Raiders clothing.

Criminal activity

Sureño groups are involved in many aspects of criminal activity including homicide,[4] [47] drug trafficking,[4] [48] kidnapping, assaults,[49] carjackings, home invasions, and robbery.[2] They are also heavily engaged in human trafficking.[6] The primary sources of income for Sureño gang members are the retail-level distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine, both within prison systems and in the community, and the extortion of drug dealers. Sureño members may also have direct associations with Mexican drug cartels, and broker deals on behalf of the Mexican Mafia and their own gangs.[2]

There have been many high-profile criminal cases involving Sureños in a variety of states. Police departments have a difficult time dealing with this gang because of its decentralized hierarchy at the street level. Law enforcement attempts to limit the influence of the Mexican Mafia over the various Sureño street gangs have been met with little success. By the late 1990s, a federal task force was set up in order to investigate the gang's involvement in the illegal drug trade; this resulted in the arrest of several of its members. The authorities confiscated thousands of dollars in drugs and money, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and local news channels. The group has historically quarreled with various rival gangs for placement and competition, which has resulted in many drive-by shootings and deaths. On August 24, 2004, a law enforcement preliminary injunction terminated the active members of the 38th Street gang, out of the streets, banning them from using firearms, alcohol, graffiti and other dangerous materials in public.[50]

Sureños have a stronghold in San Francisco's Mission District, who feud with fellow Sureño factions and Norteños. Sureños have had a history of beefing with other Sureño individuals, whether it be gang in-fighting, or different Sureño cliques fighting each other. For instance, two rival Sureño gangs fighting over territorial grounds of Southwest Community Park in Santa Rosa, California, lead to the shooting death of an 18-year-old man in 2008. The neighborhood South Park is home to a portion of the city's Angelo Heights Sureños, named after the Angelino Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles in which its original members came from. Sureños also have had territorial fighting in San Jose and Oakland.

In 2009, members of the Sureños were charged in the deaths of rival Norteño gang members Alvaro Garcia-Pena and Intiaz Ahmed, who were killed at Alvarado's Bar & Grill in Richmond, California. One member of the Sureños pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Other members from the Sureños gang received other sentences for their involvement in the shooting.[51]

In 2010, 51 Sureños were arrested in a California narcotics sting. The investigation identified eight Sureño gangs involved in various criminal activities, including the distribution of narcotics. The investigation also resulted in the seizure of more than 19 pounds of methamphetamine, a methamphetamine conversion laboratory, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, small amounts of crack cocaine, 25 pounds of marijuana, 35 firearms, and $800,000 in currency and property. The charges against the gang members were conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, street terrorism and firearms violations.[52]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Valdez. A.. April 10, 2000. Tracking Sureños. Police Law Enforcement Magazine. December 21, 2011. March 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230331084346/https://www.policemag.com/special-units/article/15350039/tracking-surenos. dead.
  2. https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ocgs/gallery/criminal-street-gangs?page=1 Criminal Street Gangs
  3. Barkan, S. E., & Bryjak, G. J. (2010). Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View. (2nd ed.). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
  4. Milkman, H. B., & Wanberg, K. W. (2012). Criminal conduct and substance abuse treatment for adolescents: Pathways to self-discovery and change. (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc
  5. https://www.everettwa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/910/Gang-Recognition-Guide Gang Recognition Guide
  6. Web site: Sureños. Sampson County Sheriff's Office. 2005. October 26, 2011. September 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180921071638/http://www.sampsonsheriff.com/otherforms/20051011_surenos.pdf. dead.
  7. Web site: Barrio 18 . 27 March 2017 .
  8. News: Speri . Alice . LA Gang 'Homies' Claim to Be Fighting in Syria . Vice . 2014-03-05 . 2018-07-22.
  9. http://www.laweekly.com/news/the-mysterious-case-of-la-gangsters-in-syria-4487924 The mysterious case of LA gangsters in Syria
  10. Web site: LA Gang 'Homies' Claim to be Fighting in Syria . 5 March 2014 .
  11. Mallory, S., & Mallory, S. L. (2012). Understanding organized crime. (2nd ed., pp. 218-220). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Barlett Learning.
  12. Bruneau, T., Dammert, L., & Skinner, E. (2011). Maras: Gang violence and security in central america. (st ed., p. 28-29, 32). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
  13. Abadinsky, H. (2010). Organized crime. (9th ed., p. 189-190). Belmont, CA: Wadesworth Publishing.
  14. https://www.police1.com/gangs/articles/the-fascinating-history-of-the-sure%C3%B1o-mongol-ruben-cavazos-UbNvYKlm3C7gVdum/ The fascinating history of the Sureño Mongol, Ruben Cavazos
  15. https://www.policemag.com/373310/oldie-but-baddie-el-monte-flores-gang Oldie But Baddie: El Monte Flores Gang
  16. Web site: 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment .
  17. https://www.kctv5.com/news/local_news/as-those-killed-at-tequila-kc-are-laid-to-rest-the-suspects-possible-gang-connections/article_e8ad1fe4-eba2-11e9-9c97-0b2433ee6fd1.html As those killed at Tequila KC are laid to rest, the suspects possible gang connections
  18. https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs27/27612/gang.htm Gang-Drug Trafficking Organization Connections Affecting Suburban Areas
  19. http://www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2010/04/mexican-mafia-the-most-dangerous-gang.aspx Mexican Mafia: Dangerous Gang
  20. https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ocgs/gallery/outlaw-motorcycle-gangs-omgs?page=1 Outlaw motorcycle gangs
  21. https://casetext.com/case/people-v-contreras-145 People v. Contreras
  22. https://wreg.com/news/playboy-sureno-13-gang-member-found-guilty-in-assault-case/ Playboy Sureno 13 gang member found guilty in assault case
  23. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca9-13-50102/pdf/USCOURTS-ca9-13-50102-0.pdf United States of America v. Michael Anthony Torres
  24. https://thelandmag.com/rucci-interview-king-of-the-norf/ King of the Norf
  25. https://www.police1.com/gangs/articles/the-monster-of-atwater-village-JKKROkWEjhQPShXg/ The monster of Atwater Village
  26. Web site: The Vineland Boys Gang . 20 August 2007 . 15 February 2019.
  27. https://books.google.com/books?id=UCwlDwAAQBAJ&dq=white+fence+sureno&pg=PA245 Global Organized Crime: A 21st Century Approach
  28. Web site: Gang Reference Sheet . May 2011 . November 14, 2020 . December 15, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201215101806/http://mobile.roanokeva.gov/Teams/JuvJusticeServ.nsf/xsp/.ibmmodres/domino/OpenAttachment/teams/juvjusticeserv.nsf/14DEC5E457FA4AC385257E14005ED190/Body/Gang%20Reference%20Sheets.pdf . dead .
  29. Hewitt, R. (Director) (2009). Gangland season 4, ep. 9 "Dog Fights" [Television series episode]. In Pearman, V. (Executive Producer), Gangland. Los Angeles, CA: A&E Television Networks.
  30. Web site: Idyllic Half Moon Bay caught in war between Norteños and Sureños. . 4 September 2011 . September 15, 2015.
  31. https://casetext.com/case/people-v-ramirez-853 People v. Ramirez
  32. http://www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2008/02/los-angeles-gangs-and-hate-crimes.aspx Los Angeles Gangs and Hate Crimes
  33. Web site: Hay, Jeremy. A HARDER EDGE TO GANG VIOLENCE. Press Democrat. May 22, 2005. March 15, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140315130707/http://www.jeremyhay.com/uploads/Gang_violence.pdf. March 15, 2014. mdy-all.
  34. Moxley, R. Scott. "We Don't Care Gang Killer Begs Judges To Care About His Trial Complaint", OC Weekly, July 2013.
  35. Web site: We Don't Care Gang Killer Begs Judges to Care About His Trial Complaint – OC Weekly . 24 July 2013 .
  36. Web site: Morales. G.. 2007. Sureños. gangpreventionservices.org. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111006092239/http://www.gangpreventionservices.org/sureno.asp. October 6, 2011. mdy-all.
  37. Womer . S. . Bunker . R. J. . 2010 . Strategic threat: narcos and narcotics overview . Small Wars & Insurgencies . 21 . 1. 81–92 . 10.1080/09592310903561486 . 143327189 .
  38. Larence, E. R. (2010). Combating gangs: Federal agencies have implemented a Central American gang. Washington, DC: United States Accountability Office.
  39. Web site: Sureños. Vinson. J.. Crame. J.. Von Seeburg. K.. Rocky Mountain Information Network. 2008.
  40. Web site: Gangs of North Carolina. dead. September 15, 2015. North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ). September 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060530/http://www.ncema.net/uploads/1/5/1/5/15153412/gangs_activity_in_north_carolina.pdf.
  41. Web site: Gangs Increasing in Military, FBI Says . February 21, 2009 . McClatchy-Tribune Information Services . Military.com . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20091113055104/http://www.military.com/news/article/gangs-increasing-in-military-fbi-says.html . November 13, 2009 .
  42. https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment-emerging-trends Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Gang Intelligence Center. (2011). 2011 national gang threat assessment – emerging trends. Retrieved from website:
  43. Barkan, S. E., & Bryjak, G. J. (2010). Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View. (2nd ed.). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
  44. News: Rocky Mountain Information Network. Surenos 2008 Special Gang Report. Public Intelligence Regional information sharing systems . February 4, 2010 .
  45. Web site: Sureño Tattoos and Symbols. policemag.com. 2 March 2010 . September 15, 2015.
  46. Web site: Eways . A. . February 13, 2012 . Sureño gang graffiti: Understanding the art of war . corrections.com .
  47. Web site: Gang member's tattoo told story of 2004 murder | Local & Regional News | Bakersfield Now - News, Weather and Sports . bakersfieldnow.com . 2011 . December 24, 2011 . March 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120306104605/http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/120514004.html . dead .
  48. News: Squires . J. . November 5, 2010 . Eight sureno gang members busted during operation groundhog in watsonville already convicted, four sent to state prison . santacruzsentinel.com .
  49. Web site: Stribling. L. (Writer). 2011. Gang member charged after stabbing girlfriend (Television series episode). In ABC News. Wilmer Minnesota: ABC.
  50. News: Delgadillo, Bratton, Perry Announce Crackdown on South L.A.'s 38th Street Gang . Office of Civil Attorney, L.A. . August 24, 2006 . June 4, 2014 . March 23, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060323100803/http://www.lacity.org/atty/attypress/attyattypress6922441_08252004.pdf#search=%2238%20street%20gang%20los%20angeles%22 . dead .
  51. Web site: Sureño gang members stand trial for Norteño shooting. Julie. Brown. richmondconfidential.org. 29 November 2012.
  52. 51 Surenos were arrested in California Narcotics Sting. Perris MaraVilla 13 is just one of the sureno Ganga In the South Side.. Policemag.com. 5 August 2010 .