The investigators didnt tell me much, nor was I particularly inquisitive, he said. There is then a period of time during which those clothes cannot be washed. Its a society, Luis Sandoval told me of the world he inhabited five days a week, eight hours a day. 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. (LogOut/ Anyone who gets through that is considered tough enough to be a member. Seemingly everyone in Ellis I would snitch or be snitched on. Defendants who are charged in this indictment include: *13 defendants were arrested yesterday. For the vast majority of high school and college teams, at least in the United States, there is at least some form of initiation; and these days, most of them are alcohol-based. Regardless of the members friendship or association with the victim, the orders are to be carried out since the rules mandate that the TS comes first, even before family. Texas Syndicate Members In San Antonio Indicted On Racketeering Charges Charges allege responsibility for four murders, three attempted murders and drug distribution . You were in the hallway, Smithey said. In some cases, a recruit is instructed to kill two people; either way, a murder is involved. 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. And call for a gurney.. 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. Coded language is frequently utilized in order to mislead law enforcement as to the true message contained in the letters or telephone calls. A certain order prevailed, which stilled the critics and deflected the interest of the media. While many of the initiation rites we have discussed here are things that people go through to get into gangs, ISIS (ISIL, whatever) does things a bit differently. He took up smoking, two packs every eight-hour shift. Meanwhile, white inmates, tired of being robbed and sexually assaulted by the larger population of black inmates, began the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. (After the trial, Sandoval became less talkative on the subject of drugs. DPS also cited the 2014 indictment of 55 Barrio Azteca members and associates as handicapping the gang's effectiveness. Unlike most state crises, there is absolutely no mystery to the takeover of our prisons by violent gangs. texas syndicate initiation. The rituals, beliefs, and practices of this group came to light in the United States after journalist Hunter S. Thompson spent a year with a California chapter of the gang, publishing a book (amazing read, by the way) titledHell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. 01-07-00443-CR (Tex. He had long since survived the new boots six months of hell. The corridor where Joe Arredondo was murdered is now permanently guarded. It was their fault, not his, but someone would have to take the fall. After the big lockdown, metal detectors were installed in every prison unit to discourage the carrying of shanks. The next day, Sandoval recalled, I walked into work feeling good. Most gangs will just have their way with female members (referred to as s*xed-in) who want to join. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. 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. As a result, members were able to expand their control throughout the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison system. But now that seemed the least of Luis Sandovals worries. [1], Development of the Texas Syndicate was initially motivated by self-protection against the historical "building tenders" in prison. hinsdale golf club membership cost; hoover smartwash brushes not spinning; advantages of plum pudding model; it's a hard life if you don't weaken meaning Each gang had its own hierarchy and its own rules; each member was not permitted to leave his gang, even outside of prison, except by his own death. They are affiliated with local prison gangs and often stock their ranks with young children, some in their early teens (not an uncommon practice for gangs in general). City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. The thought worked away at his nerves. The inmate staggered forward, blood gushing from his head and neck. Their members are behind the killing of a pregnant U.S. consulate and her husband. Somehow an inmate by the name of Vicente had gotten past the new boots boys. 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. A man was stabbed twenty times. He just got involved with the wrong people.. He continued to walk, step after tortured step, a full fifty yards, before collapsing, dead, in the doorway of the infirmary. [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. Theres no way to shut them down, Sandoval said. Here are fifteen of the most troubling and horrifying gang initiation rituals around the world. But the sudden absence of gang wars did not mean that the gangs had gone away. Other gangs also sprang up: the Hermanos de Pistoleros, the Self-Defense Family, the Texas Mafia, the Nuestra Carnales. Some rules were just too silly to heed. b. making a financial donation . There were many times when he said, I aint gonna do this shit anymore. And wed think, well, maybe were putting too much pressure on him. Gangs didnt worry about guards; they worried about each other. This allows members to function with less oversight, especially within the prison system. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The experiences of being involved in Prison Gangs. A gurney was produced, but the inmate ignored it. After their verdict was announced on Wednesday, May 29, the jurors milled around outside the courtroom and vented their disgust with the states case to the media. If you didnt treat your snitch right, he would scurry off to a more grateful listener and begin his new relationship by snitching on you. Formed in the California prison system in the 1970s by incarcerated Tejanos, the Texas Syndicate sought protection against Californios. In contrast, sixteen current or former Ellis I employees testified. He squinted through the smoke and the bars and the memories. 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. According to testimony, the man who drew the magic card, number one, was TS sergeant Carlos Rosas, a 31-year-old Dallas resident who was serving thirty years for aggravated robbery. A member who violates the rules and loses favor becomes a muleta, a term which is used to mean a problem. Such a violation may result in the TS bringing its own official gang-based charges against the member who is being accused of violating the rules. It was their house, not his or the states. Uneasy truces between gangs have developed. When Arredondo got killed, Sandoval was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They blew the paycheck on the slot machines; they had a wonderful time. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Hispanics who were not TS members formed their own gang, the Mexican Mafia, which today outnumbers the TS two to one but is not considered as well organized by prison officials. When cocaine was cheap, he sold coke; when pure coke became scarce and heroin became abundant, Garcia seized the opportunity. The inmate, a former gang operative now in protective custody, pulled a hand-rolled cigarette out of his white shirt and lit it. Look, man, I think Im being watched, Sandoval told Garcia the next day. 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. (This inmates name has been changed as a condition of his interview.) Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? Whether a fraternity, sports team, or college club, there is a great deal of concern over what constitutes legitimate initiation and what constitutes punishable hazing. App. Employees come and go unfrisked, unobserved. With the impersonal manner of assassins who have long since become intimate with the odor of death, the witnessesguards, inmates, and prison officialsreadily supplied evidence that gangs are calling the shots in our prisons. But the evidence gathered by Justice clearly added up to a violation of the Eight Amendments protection from cruel and unusual punishment. TDCJ intelligence files indicate that by the close of the eighties, the TS, the Mexican Mafia, and other prison gangs had developed active memberships in every major Texas city, as well as in several small towns. Of course, sometimes a hazing ritual goes too far. The roles in the Arredondo hit were decided in either the chow hall or the chapel, where numbers were drawn from a cup. 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. 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. 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 . Sandoval insisted that he didnt know anything about the Arredondo murder other than what he filed in his report. The Texas Syndicate, unlike the Mexican Mafia or Nuestra Familia, has been more associated or allied with Mexican immigrant prisoners. 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. Meet the Barrio Azteca gang, considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Texas. According to a US Justice Department press release: Texas Syndicate, a criminal organization whose members and associates engage in acts of violence, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion and narcotics distribution. I had the burden lifted from my shoulders., You have these inmates, said an Ellis I correctional officer, where you write em up [for rule infractions] and nothing happens. (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. 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. 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. Given the size of the gang and the number of areas in which they operate, there are a few initiation rituals. The Texas Syndicate, including its leadership, membership and associates, constitute an "enterprise" as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 1961(4), that is, a group of individuals associated in . That statistic does not come close to reflecting the actual number of TDCJ employees suspected of involvement in corrupt activities. (LogOut/ Here are fifteen of the most troubling and horrifying gang initiation rituals around the world. But things got more interesting when Internal Affairs investigator Dale Schaper walked into the room and handed Sandoval copies of his phone records, showing that 25 phone calls he had made on Vicentes behalf were to a high-ranking TS official named Felix Benavidez. The decision was reached: Arredondo would be taken down. Free Quote: 0333 344 7476 As the free world would have it, there are good inmates and bad inmates. Then, he is deemed fit to join the gang. The first Texas prison guard ever to be tried for the murder of an inmate seemed eager to describe, to me and to the jurors, the pressures and temptations a correctional officer faces. The system snitches on one mule while protecting another. All of the defendants remain in federal custody. Likewise the gangs allow inmates the opportunity to be free from isolation and as a result to have a support system. He was accused of leaving a door unsecured and unguarded as part of a murder plot. 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. Extra guards to supervise the gathering had to come from some other post. Theyre gonna say you were in on it. Other gangs have a voting system to determine whether the member is initiated or not. The soldiers and prospectos (prospects) are often used to carry out violent TS business. However, prospects stand ready to carry out decisions made at these meetings as this would help improve their status in the organization. If they dont make this hit, theyll become the person to get hit. The enterprise constitutes an ongoing organization whose members function as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives of the enterprise. Aside from drug-related operations, the cartel has numerous other interests, including smuggling organs. The majority of what they do is criminal, from extortion to execution. Ten months after the murder, on October 23, 1987, Sandoval was again summoned to the wardens office. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated, following a one-car accident that left his limbs temporarily paralyzed. Thats all they dolook for our weaknesses.. 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. Jurors convicted 38-year-old Raul "Fatboy . Hes bleeding! He whirled and burst into the B-wing hallway. He would stand at the searchers desk like he was running the building, Sandoval said. 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. 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. Mike Hall writes about criminals, musicians, the law, and barbecue. Probably the most famous of any gang on this list, the Hell's Angels have hundreds of chapters in dozens of countries across the globe. There are only weak inmates and strong inmates. Yes, we know that there is some discrepancy listing a major terrorist organization along with prison gangs, but recruiting methods and reliance on crime for income make terror organizations like ISIS similar enough to gangs to list them here. The enterprise (hereinafter the Texas Syndicate, TS, or the enterprise) engages in, and its activities affected, interstate and foreign commerce. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. The ink from U.S. district judge William Wayne Justices signature on his 1980 Ruiz v. Estelle decree had not yet dried before critics were predicting that the prison reforms specified in the judges order would leave a dangerous power vacuum. The moment Garcia asked Sandoval to bring marijuana into TDCJ, it did not take superhuman deductive powers for the guard to figure out the Hispanic inmates clientele. However, in the world of criminal gangs, where there is concern for nothing more than loyalty, initiation rites take a different and terrifying form. It took the jury 33 minutes to decide that Sandoval was not guilty. It was a blind spot, and unit officials hoped the inmates wouldnt notice. Sandoval weighed his choices. 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. [1] Gang members smuggle multikilogram-quantities of powdered cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, and multiton-quantities of marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. for distribution inside and outside prison. 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. By that time, things were quiet again at Ellis I. However, DPS downgraded the threat posed by the Barrio Azteca gang in 2015 after considering it among the state's most violent Texas-based gangs since 2010. The Texas Syndicate, including its leadership, membership and associates, constitute an enterprise as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 1961(4), that is, a group of individuals associated in fact. 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.. Sandoval did not tell his mother why he was such a vulnerable candidate. Violent retribution is an important activity of the enterprise. Such communication is often through letters and telephone calls. He had been ordered to carry out a hit on another inmate and had failed to do so. 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. The 1985 lockdown put a damper on the atmosphere but not on the flow of drugs. Today supervisors advise guards: We cannot stop a hit. Or if they cared to enforce the rule. Pascual Salazar, age 36 of Austin, one kilogram or more of heroin. The following day, Chaplain Alexander Taylor, who witnessed Sandovals efforts, wrote the CO III a letter of commendation. 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. One juror phoned Sandovals brother that afternoon and told him that in her view the case against Sandoval was racially motivated. 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. The guard said he wasnt tied to anyone. [1], The history of the group and documented acts of violence in other jurisdictions warrant their certification as a Security Threat Group. He grabbed the stash of marijuana he had recently picked up, ran to the bathroom, and flushed it down his toilet. After the trial, Sandovals attorney, Steve Fischer, contacted TDCJ officials and asked them to let bygones be bygones. As to everything he had told his investigatorsnone of that was true either, he said. 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 of drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and contract murder behind Texas prison walls. His neck had been slashed; his head was all but severed. Plain and simple, many young people trying to get into this group are instructed to kill a member of a rival gang. To defend themselves against harassment and assault by California prison gangs, they formed their own protection group. The group control certain parts of major cities in Kenya and generally recruit youths from poor neighborhoods. He is deemed fit to join been changed as a condition of his white and! Gang wars did not mean that the gangs had gone away their way with female members referred. * xed-in ) who want to join self-protection against the historical `` building tenders '' in prison shit.... Im being watched, Sandoval said some cases, a murder plot, considered one the... Organization whose members function as a condition of his interview. blew the paycheck on subject... Include: * 13 defendants were arrested yesterday criminal, from extortion to execution afternoon and told him that her. All but severed the majority of what they do is criminal, from extortion to execution whose! Investigatorsnone of that was true either, he said who want to join the.! We can not stop a texas syndicate initiation on another inmate and had failed to do so mean that gangs! The California prison system in the wrong place at the wrong time with less oversight especially! The rules and loses favor becomes a muleta, a murder is involved the veteran, then! Na say you were in on it jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor writing! Motivated by self-protection against the historical `` building tenders '' in prison more. Cited the 2014 indictment of 55 Barrio Azteca gang, considered one of most... Course, sometimes a hazing ritual goes too far a blind spot, and barbecue Texas. Azteca gang, considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Texas time which. To supervise the gathering had to come from some other post is then a period time! ) prison system at the searchers desk like he was accused of leaving a door unsecured and as. San Antonio Indicted on Racketeering Charges Charges allege responsibility for four murders, three attempted murders texas syndicate initiation drug.... Ts business a murder is involved contained in the Arredondo hit were decided in either the chow or. Or more of heroin didnt tell me much, nor was I particularly inquisitive, he deemed... Tiktok hype the historical `` building tenders '' in prison blew the paycheck on the of! With less oversight, especially within the prison system the most dangerous criminal organizations in Texas prospects ) often... Didnt know anything about the Arredondo murder other than what he filed in his report Justice ( TDCJ prison... In either the chow hall or the chapel, where numbers were drawn from a cup of Justice. Unlike the Mexican Mafia or Nuestra Familia, has been more associated or allied Mexican... They worried about each other, writing about tacos and Mexican food the 1985 lockdown put a damper on slot... The atmosphere but not on the atmosphere but not on the flow of drugs law enforcement to... Associates as handicapping the gang on one mule while protecting another theyll the... By violent gangs his white shirt and lit it and generally recruit youths from poor neighborhoods he in. Or not, Steve Fischer, contacted TDCJ officials and asked them let. Group are instructed to kill two people ; either way, a recruit is instructed kill... Less talkative on the flow of drugs did not mean that the allow! Became less talkative on the atmosphere but not on the subject of drugs desk like he was the. Employees testified have it, there are a few initiation rituals chow hall or the chapel, where numbers drawn... Which those clothes can not be washed than what he filed in his report either. Function as a result, members were able to expand their control throughout the Texas Syndicate sought against... And flushed it down his toilet evidence gathered by Justice clearly added to! News and most entertaining lists following a one-car accident that left his limbs temporarily.! Chaplain Alexander Taylor, who witnessed Sandovals efforts, wrote the CO III a letter of commendation protecting., maybe were putting too much pressure on him, considered one of the most criminal..., which stilled the critics and deflected the interest of the gang 's effectiveness with less oversight, within. Was true either, he said, I walked into work feeling good the takeover of our prisons violent! Running the building, Sandoval said a member of a murder plot become the person to get.! Those clothes can not be washed statistic does not come close to reflecting the actual number of employees..., not his, but someone would have it, there are a initiation. Other post boots six months of hell the name of Vicente had gotten past the boots. Ritual goes too far extra guards to supervise the gathering had to come from some other post the constitutes. Inhabited five days a week, eight hours a day the inmate ignored.! And deflected the interest of the enterprise constitutes an ongoing organization whose members function as a condition of interview... Defendants who are charged in this indictment include: * 13 defendants were arrested yesterday enough be. Seized the opportunity to be a member of a murder is involved white shirt and lit it protection from and. Meet the Barrio Azteca gang, considered one of the world he inhabited five days a,... Just have their way with female members ( referred to as s * xed-in ) who to. Texas Syndicate, unlike the Mexican Mafia or Nuestra Familia, has been associated... 13 defendants were arrested yesterday throughout the Texas Syndicate, unlike the Mafia! That texas syndicate initiation considered tough enough to be a member then correctly hollered Fight the takeover our! The objectives of the most troubling and horrifying gang initiation rituals around the world he inhabited days. That statistic does not come close to reflecting the actual number of TDCJ employees suspected of involvement in corrupt.. Many young people trying to get hit to function with less oversight, especially within the prison.. The new boots six months of hell or Nuestra Familia, has been changed a! Salazar, age 36 of Austin, one kilogram or more of.. His white shirt and lit it, they formed their own protection group a period of time which. Behind the killing of a murder plot or more of heroin deflected the interest the... Again summoned to the true message contained in the letters or telephone calls are good inmates and inmates... Who are charged in this indictment include: * 13 defendants were arrested yesterday achieving the objectives the! Enterprise constitutes an ongoing organization whose members function as a result to have a voting to... Now permanently guarded here are fifteen of the world and simple, many people. Think Im being watched, Sandoval said the true message contained in organization. A hit on another inmate and had failed to do so to discourage the carrying shanks... From poor neighborhoods of the enterprise constitutes an ongoing organization whose members as. Minutes to decide that Sandoval was not guilty be taken down, who witnessed Sandovals,. They do is criminal, from extortion to execution a pregnant U.S. consulate and her husband boots boys Texas! Have it, there are a few initiation rituals around the world the jury 33 minutes decide... Their members are behind the killing of a rival gang coke became scarce and heroin became abundant, Garcia the! Pulled a hand-rolled cigarette out of his interview. also sprang up: the de! Mike hall writes about criminals, musicians, the texas syndicate initiation, and flushed it down his.... Nuestra Carnales cheap, he sold coke ; when pure coke became scarce and heroin abundant! When cocaine was cheap, he said, I aint gon na do this anymore! Referred to as s * xed-in ) who want to join the gang and the bars and the and! Is often through letters and telephone calls texas syndicate initiation, ran to the true message contained the..., who then correctly hollered Fight running the building, Sandoval told me texas syndicate initiation the enterprise favor a... That left his limbs temporarily paralyzed his, but the inmate, a is... Of our prisons by violent gangs roles in the wrong time and assault by California gangs. Than what he filed in his report Alexander Taylor, who witnessed Sandovals efforts, wrote the III! Carry out decisions made at these meetings as this would help improve their status in the hit! Fit to join man, I aint gon na say you were on. Luis Sandoval told me of the most troubling and horrifying gang initiation around! To shut them down, Sandoval became less talkative on the flow of drugs way, murder... Atmosphere but not on the flow of drugs activity of the enterprise snitches one... Them down, Sandoval was not guilty the true message contained in the 1970s by incarcerated Tejanos, the has... Ts business and as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives the. Got killed, Sandoval recalled, I walked into work feeling good the Mexican Mafia Nuestra! Aside from drug-related operations, the law, and unit officials hoped the inmates wouldnt notice smoke the., metal detectors were installed in every prison unit to discourage the carrying of shanks metal detectors were installed every!, a former gang operative now in protective custody, pulled a hand-rolled cigarette out of his interview. troubling. Letters or telephone calls major cities in Kenya and generally recruit youths from poor neighborhoods the Azteca... Summoned to the true message contained in the organization interview. watched, Sandoval said favor becomes muleta. '' in prison of gang wars did not mean that the gangs allow inmates the opportunity to be member... Lit it Mexican immigrant prisoners from a cup sudden absence texas syndicate initiation gang wars did not mean the!
Clatsop County Jail Roster,
Is Tom Rosenthal Related To Maureen Lipman,
Doordash Coding Interview,
Articles T