Sureños: Difference between revisions
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| ethnic makeup = [[Chicano]], [[Mexico|Mexican]] |
| ethnic makeup = [[Chicano]], [[Mexico|Mexican]] |
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| criminal activities = [[Murder]], [[drug trafficking]], [[extortion]], [[assault]], [[auto theft]], [[robbery]] |
| criminal activities = [[Murder]], [[drug trafficking]], [[extortion]], [[assault]], [[auto theft]], [[robbery]] |
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| allies = [[Mexican Mafia]], [[Sinaloa Cartel]], [[Tijuana Cartel]], [[18th street gang]] [[MS-13]] |
| allies = [[Mexican Mafia]], [[Sinaloa Cartel]], [[Tijuana Cartel]], [[18th street gang]](some) [[MS-13]] |
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| rivals = [[Norteños]], [[Asian Boyz]], [[Bloods]], [[Crips]] and [[Latin Kings (gang)|Latin Kings]]. |
| rivals = [[Norteños]], [[18th street gang]](some) [[Asian Boyz]], [[Bloods]], [[Crips]](few) and [[Latin Kings (gang)|Latin Kings]]. |
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Revision as of 20:38, 11 November 2011
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2009) |
| File:Santa Monica 17 Street 13.jpg Gang's name tattooed on gang member's back. | |
| Founding location | United States |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1959–Present |
| Territory | All US states,[citation needed] Mexico |
| Ethnicity | Chicano, Mexican |
| Criminal activities | Murder, drug trafficking, extortion, assault, auto theft, robbery |
| Allies | Mexican Mafia, Sinaloa Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, 18th street gang(some) MS-13 |
| Rivals | Norteños, 18th street gang(some) Asian Boyz, Bloods, Crips(few) and Latin Kings. |
Sureños (Southerners) are a group of Mexican American street gangs with origins in the oldest barrios of Southern California. Although they are based in California, the influence of the Sureños has spread to many parts of the US and other countries as well such as Germany and Japan. The gang's alleged roots came from a prison dispute between the Mexican Mafia (La Eme) and Nuestra Familia (NF). Those that sided with the NF aligned themselves in Northern California and called themselves Norteños (Northerners) which became the Sureños' main adversary. Sureños appear mostly in the southern areas of California, but are also present in Northern California & southwestern states of the U.S. Sureños can be found in most states of the U.S. The numbers are increasing and is now the largest gang in the U.S.[citation needed]
History
The term "Sureños” meaning Southerner in Spanish. Sureño (male) Sureña (female) are the basics on what they are separated by. They originated from Southern California prison and made their way through "barrios"(hoods/neighborhoods). Throughout 1992-1993, the Mexican Mafia held meetings throughout Southern California with local gangs to unify them as Sureños, The Mexican Mafia also taxed the local gangs and banned drive by shootings. This required the Sureños to walk up and shoot their enemies and avoid shooting non-gang members. [1]The Sureños identify with the color blue which comes from days past when the prisons offered two standard colors of bandanas, blue and red. Their enemies are Norteños (Northerners) and have been at war since the beginning. The term was first used in the 1960s as a result of a California prison war between the Mexican Mafia (La Eme) and Nuestra Familia (NF). This war resulted in a territorial division between gang members from norteño (northern) California who aligned with NF, and those from southern California aligned with La Eme. As Eme members paroled to the streets, they were tasked with creating new cells to help facilitate more crime. With her connections to the original members of La Eme, Anacleta "La Annie" Ramirez recruited young gang members on the streets to work as lackeys for La Eme. She created a structure so that members coming out of prison, along with her help, could teach the susceptible young gang members new criminal activities to create new streams of profit for the Mexican Mafia. In addition, paroled members explained the North versus South war occurring in prison to the young street gang members. The youngsters were told that when they did enter the prison system that they should align themselves with the other Surenos. The term Sureno was soon adopted by Hispanic street gang members throughout Southern California. [2]
Symbols and Culture
Sureño gang members often identify themselves with the number 13;[3] to represent the thirteenth letter of the alphabet, the letter M. This is used to pay homage to the Mexican Mafia. Surenos will use the symbols Sur, XIII, X3, 13, $ur13 and 3-dots in their graffiti and tattoos. In many parts of the country they will identify themselves with the color blue (mainly royal blue) and gray, and black also including sports teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, San Diego Padres, and San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys,this also includes Oakland Raiders gear clothing.
Operation Groundhog
In May 2010, with help from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies in California, forty-three[4] suspected Sureño gang members were arrested and two others are wanted after a year-long investigation of the gang's activities in California. Police also recovered heroin and methamphetamine from suspected street-level drug dealers.
The majority of the arrests were for trafficking and possessing guns, gang participation, drug charges and violating probation terms. Several men were arrested more than once over the course of the year, according to the Police Department.[4]
See also
References
- ^ Rafael, Tony. (2007). The Mexican Mafia. Encounter Books. p. 34. ISBN 1594031959.
- ^ "Tracy Press - Three men to stand trial on gang charges". Retrieved 2010-04-20.
- ^ "Sureño Gang Identifiers - Sampson Sheriff Department Gang Unit" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-02-02.
- ^ a b "Santa Cruz Sentinel - 'Operation Groundhog' roots out 45 suspected sureno gang members in Watsonville". Retrieved 2011-02-02. Cite error: The named reference "url Santa Cruz Sentinel" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).