Their primary operations revolve around drugs, and they have a truly terrifying initiation ritual for new members. But to prison officials, the story is as familiar as the smell of marijuana in a cellblock and the sight of an inmate with a hand-tooled shank. But they werent enough: A guard like Luis Sandoval would be assigned to a hallway filled with hundreds of inmates. If you tell him, Put that knife down, hell look up at you and say, I aint through yet. These people are serious. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 17 members and associates of the Texas Syndicate in connection with a methamphetamine/heroin trafficking operation in central Texas announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, and Gonzales Police Chief Tim Crow. 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. I was in the dayroom. His father died. Likewise the gangs allow inmates the opportunity to be free from isolation and as a result to have a support system. But now that seemed the least of Luis Sandovals worries. The procedure is referred to as clearing a TS member or running the lights. Members in prison were cleared by exhibiting documentation such as plea agreements, presentence investigation reports, judgments or other case-related document, to enable higher-ranking members to verify that the person to be cleared did not cooperate with law enforcement. In 2006, Andres Garcia was arrested for allegedly luring George Garza, a member of rival Valluco prison gang, and then stabbing him to death. A host of documents relating to the trial, as well as interviews with numerous sources involved in the case, have provided chilling details of how Texas prisons really work today. 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. How to score cheap flights (and mistake fares) in 2023. His wife divorced him. I have the Experience and Reputation to Fight for Your Rights. They were founded in Nigeria over a decade ago, but now operate in several African countries. Even before the call, Luis Sandoval had been sweating bullets. ), the group has somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 members across the United States (mainly on the east coast), in Canada, Mexico, and in several countries in central America. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 17 members and associates of the Texas Syndicate in connection with a methamphetamine/heroin trafficking operation in central Texas announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, and Gonzales . That beating often takes the form of "running the gauntlet," in which a recruit is forced to run between two lines of members who are armed withwellwhatever weapons they can get their hands on. All of above. His mother and stepfather lived in a middle-class neighborhood, but most of Sandovals friends lived in the barrios or in the projects of Kingsville, where Sandoval attended college for three years. In 2011, the FBI reported that Barrio Azteca also had members in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. We assembled and maintain a team of the best talent with a keen eye on the future. Other inmates reacted to the TS as the TS members had first responded to California gang harassment. The quality of cocaine is frequently discussed in terms of how pretty or how good the girls are. Payments for drugs are often called receipts and cheese.. Sandoval weighed his choices. There is little supervision, no governing oversight other than the hierarchy, and quite literally the only purpose of these is to test would-be members to see if they have what it takes to serve the purpose of the group. The task would range from a serious assault to murder. Jurors convicted 38-year-old Raul "Fatboy . The federal agency is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to his capture. Each society sustains the other, but the economic cycle depends on a vital link, for the supply will not meet the demand unless the product reaches the consumer. However if a member is not deemed worthy to be initiated, the denied appellant could end up becoming victimized by the gang, such as making the person pay money for protection and be put to work for the gang through prostitution. 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. Theyre coming in from work, theyre coming out of the tanks to go eat or recreate or go to school or go to the chapel, said Sandoval. Mungiki is a religious/ethnic sect in Kenya. Drugs come from the free world. Eventually, however, Vicente and Garcia began to ask for more than a light. As a result, members were able to expand their control throughout the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison system. Members of the Texas Syndicate maintain regular communication with members who have been imprisoned. After being released from California prisons these inmates returned to Texas, often returning to violence and re-entering the prison system. I dont have any money to get any stamps, Garcia explained. Furthermore, that degree of control has carried to communities in which TS members reside. But the first six months is hell. Sandoval was determined to tough it out. Beneath the cosmetic alterations, however, things at Ellis I are just as Sandoval left them. The murder would take place in a corridor abutting the B-wing: the maximum-security area where Luis Sandoval often worked. The youth gangs havent caused trouble yet, but the realities of prison life suggest that this will surely change. 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. and swallow the smoldering sun. It was their fault, not his, but someone would have to take the fall. Neither possibility seemed likely, given what Sandoval had learned about TDCJ in his first few months on the job. He squinted through the smoke and the bars and the memories. ISIS calls euphemistically calls this process "marriage"and in many cases, the thought of joining the group is less horrifying for a victim than having to explain to family members what happened. And call for a gurney.. I was a damn good officer, he told both me and them. On the other hand, if his superiors caught him delivering inmate mail, they could fire him on the spot. If the recruit answers, "I will share my umbrella," he is deemed unworthy of membership and becomes a s*x slave. Symbols : TS, Tejanos, Texas symbols, long horns, demons, horned dragons, cuernos and syndicatos. 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. Here are fifteen of the most troubling and horrifying gang initiation rituals around the world. Prepare for battle and place the lure in Midnight Den Cull the Alpha Wolf and Pack Travel north east to the Enclave Talk to Aventus Valenti Introduce yourself to Cleo Elsayad Talk to Aventus Valenti Head northeast to the Midnight Den . 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 with some of the groups we'll cover in this list, some people will argue that the people involved with Mungiki are innocent victims in a struggle against the Kenyan government, but their operations closely mimic gang activities. A deal was struck between the gang and Garcia: Garcia would acquire the drugs, give half to the Texas Syndicate, and sell the other half himself. Louie would love nothing more than to be a guard again, Fischer told them. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The brutality of the murder, coupled with Sandovals complete inability to prevent it, made quite an impression on the young guard. We know who youre tied to. But that was if they caught him. A certain order prevailed, which stilled the critics and deflected the interest of the media. Sandoval got off in Los Angeles and found his way to Van Nuys, where a cousin put him up in his apartment. 8/21/2008) (Tex. TS membership is comprised predominantly of Texas-born Mexican-American males and operates under a formal paramilitary organizational structure with a constitution and strict established rules. Click Expand to view. In 1978, in California, making the Texas Syndicate the oldest prison gang in Texas' history. The inmate staggered forward, blood gushing from his head and neck. Tango Blast cliques along the Rio Grande Valley and in Corpus Christi are the region's major players, along with Texas Syndicate and Texas Mexican Mafia. While gang activity is widespread, only about 15 percent have more than 11 members. App., 2008) On Dec. 21, 2006, Texas Syndicate members are arrested for the contract killing of Julio A. Serrano. When cocaine is available, the supplier might tell his customers that he had work available. It took more than three years for the Arredondo murder case to come to trial, during which time a number of things happened to Sandoval. The impulse is to accommodate the inmate, since prisonsspiritual wastelands of concrete and metalcry out for random acts of human kindness. But the defendants earnest tone suggested that this was itself an injusticethat the prison system had asked the impossible of prison guards and was now punishing Sandoval for the states shortcomings. This is a carousel. Can I still get Beyonc tickets? Sometimes, that person is allowed to chose between taking out a prison guard or a rival gang member, but other times, the decision is made by the member in a position of leadership. The group was started in the 1970's in California's prison system, in response to the need for more protection for Mexican-Americans (primarily from Texas) who were in the Cali prison system. 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. More often than not, a good time is experienced by all members, whether a veteran of the group or a newcomer, that sometimes ends up with a hangover and some funny memories. Rival gang members may also be referred to in the feminine form. 10 facts about the Barrio Azteca, one of the most dangerous gangs in Texas, Mark Lambie/AP Photo/El Paso Times, Mark Lambie. Its a society all its own. 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. 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. But Ellis I officials, like so many other wardens in the post-Ruiz era, were playing a numbers game. When he sent the letter off to his mother, he knew it wouldnt be long before law enforcement officials discovered his whereabouts. Like any good criminal organization, there is an interesting ritual for all new members, although there are some variations for different chapters. Texas Syndicate members frequently refer to each other as carnal (brother) and maintain a distinct identity by establishing and enforcing specific TS rules, holding meetings, utilizing TS gang signs (horns), and by maintaining a close relationship with fellow gang members and their associates throughout the state. There were estimated _____ gang members at this time. After you sit there for twenty-four hours a day with nothing else to do, you discover all sorts of good hiding places. Added a current officer, The only time that we can find drugs is if an inmate snitches and tells us.. 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. Ellis I officials caught wind of the deal through a snitch. They have more than one ritual to get into the gang, but two of the most common are taking a brutal beating (getting jumped in) and in other cases, recruits are told to murder someone. 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. Theres no way to shut them down, Sandoval said. That afternoon in the interrogation room, Special Prison Prosecution Unit investigator Royce Smithey bore down on Sandoval. No member is permitted to break away from the group. Sandoval did not tell his mother why he was such a vulnerable candidate. But according to one Ellis I officer, Inmates watch everything we do. The Texas Syndicate also operates in state and federal prisons across the United States, with significant activity being reported at FCI Oakdale in Louisiana and San Quentin State Prison in California, as well as some representation in the Florida Department of Corrections. Youre telling us you saw nothing? Unlike most state crises, there is absolutely no mystery to the takeover of our prisons by violent gangs. RELATED:Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping. Gang initiation is determined either by a formula system, whereas if the member completes all the requirements (which sometimes include killing another person) and the other basic requirements (such as race, ethnicity etc), they are automatically initiated. Upon their release from prison, gang members returned to Texas, renamed themselves the Texas Syndicate (TS), committed crimes, and wound up in TDCJ, where they developed an extensive network. Barrio Azteca members are suspected of carrying out the March 2010 assassination of a U.S. Consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee. The guards were hired. In fact, his disciplinary record was almost spotless, and he enjoyed the privileged position of commissary clerk. Sandoval described Ellis I warden Jerry Peterson as a good man but a figurehead. Texas Syndicate: Founded in the 1970s at the Folsom State Prison in California ; . The field for their activities, though fertile, was finite, thus making turf wars inevitable. In your house you can walk around in the dark and not bang your shins because you know every square inch, said a former Ellis I officer. Ten months after the murder, on October 23, 1987, Sandoval was again summoned to the wardens office. By the mid-1800s, there were street gangs in _____. texas syndicate initiation. Not one of them pinned the murder of Joe Arredondo on Sandoval. I knew he didnt have nothing to do with it. DPS also cited the 2014 indictment of 55 Barrio Azteca members and associates as handicapping the gang's effectiveness. Coded language is commonly utilized during drug related phone calls. But the report was not a signed confession. The west end of the B-wing hallway was left unguarded after three-thirty every afternoon, when the guard normally stationed there was transferred to the chow hall. RELATED:Why 'El Chapo's' beauty queen wife says she is 'afraid for his life'. Tri-City Bombers, Latin Kings and Surenos are more active on a street gang level. Sandoval took a step toward the crashgate but was held back by the more experienced guard. 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. Armando, I cant jeopardize my life, man., Garcia took the story to the Texas Syndicate. Some, but not all, TS members have TS tattoos. 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. After the lockdown, the murder rate plunged. Joe Arredondo was taken to a hospital in Huntsville. He was muling, said McDonald. Others have been initiated by murdering other gang members who were in poor standing, while others still have witnessed gang members forcing themselves on their girlfriend as a rite of passage. None of them knew anything about Sandoval and drugs. At the Ferguson Unit, for example, guards wore special caps sporting a patch designed by an inmate. A federal grand jury indictment, returned in Austin and unsealed yesterday, charges those arrested with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Justice therefore ordered that the two thousand building tenders be replaced by more prison guards, who would police the inmates with a firm but civilized hand. As the free world would have it, there are good inmates and bad inmates. The following day, Chaplain Alexander Taylor, who witnessed Sandovals efforts, wrote the CO III a letter of commendation. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The group control certain parts of major cities in Kenya and generally recruit youths from poor neighborhoods. The officials fitted Sandoval with handcuffs, leg irons, and a belly chain. 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. He would stand at the searchers desk like he was running the building, Sandoval said. The gang murders that once took place inside prisons now take place on the streets. And the courier must possess a particular power: He must be able to walk through walls. Plain and simple, many young people trying to get into this group are instructed to kill a member of a rival gang. gangs in Texas, and they underscore the commitment among law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in Texas to share information and intelligence in order to effectively combat crime and improve public safety. The murder came as a result of the Gulf Cartel hiring the Texas Syndicate to kidnap Serrano from his home in Texas and take him to cartel members in Mexico. 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. Many of the gang leaders who had been doing time are now in the free world, spreading the gang network across the state, beyond prison walls. For several days, Sandoval read the Bible and considered his options. Show More Show Less 20 of 32 7. When Sandoval told me that, he was sitting in the interrogation room of the Walker County jail in Huntsville, wearing prison whites. To the public, the saga of Luis Sandoval will be a shocking revelation of how Texas prisons have spawned an organized crime wave that afflicts the entire state. Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, pictured, is serving a life sentence in U.S. federal prison for leading the assassins. Everyone wanted informationon the inmates, on their superiors, on their peers. The gang also allies with other gangs including the Mexican Mafia and MS-13. 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. [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. According to Sandoval, Howard Digby, a runty burglar with a pug nose and heavily tattooed arms, was known as a captains boy, a snitch who filled his bosss cup with coffee and his ear with prison gossip. [4] [5] Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Criminal activity 2 Structure 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. One Ellis I officer reported that in 1986, between one hundred and two hundred gallons of chock was discovered on a weekly basis within the unit. 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. The power of the Texas Syndicate is utilized to create fear and intimidation that shields members, ensures the timely payment of drug debts, and prevents the theft of members drugs or money. A man was stabbed twenty times. Of course, sometimes a hazing ritual goes too far. But the evidence gathered by Justice clearly added up to a violation of the Eight Amendments protection from cruel and unusual punishment. Agencies assisting in making arrests include: Karnes County Sheriffs Office, Guadalupe County Sheriffs Office, Comal County Metro Narcotics Task Force, San Marcos Police Department, Hays County Narcotics Task Force and the San Antonio Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Their initiation rituals vary based on whether or not a given cell of the gang is in prison or on the outside. Syndicate Initiation : Over The Cliffs, And Through The Woods - New WordJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW2N5MbCNEM. Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? 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. 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. 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