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Sons of Samoa

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Sons of Samoa
Seattle Mariners baseball team logo used as Sons of Samoa symbol
Founding locationLong Beach, California, U.S.
TerritoryUnited States (Alaska, California, Missouri, Utah, Washington)[1]
EthnicityPredominantly of Samoan descent
Criminal activitiesDrug trafficking, robbery, burglary, extortion
RivalsP.V.C. (Park Village Crip)[2]

Sons of Samoa is a Crips-affiliated street gang based in Long Beach, California, United States. Its membership mainly consists of Samoan Americans with other Pacific Islander members.

History

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The Sons of Samoa gang is a faction of the Crips gang based in west Long Beach, California.[3]

In 1985, the Sons of Samoa gang had about 200 members scattered throughout Long Beach, many of whom were Samoan immigrants or first-generation Samoans.[4]

In the late 1980s, it was the focus of a Long Beach Police Department sweep after gang members had attacked two police officers.[3] Around the same time, they were in a gang war with a gang from Garden Grove.[3]

In 2015, an investigation led to new charges and the arrest of a Sons of Samoa member for a murder in 1996.[5][6]

Three SOS members were arrested on March 16, 2021, for the February 9 fatal shooting of a man during late hours on the street near a church in San Jose, California. The victim was not known to have had any connection with the suspects.[7]

Activities

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In the 1980s, the Sons of Samoa were heavily involved with the sale and use of cocaine and PCP, as well as robbery, burglary, and extortion.[4] In the 1990s, the Suicidals subset of the Sons of Samoa sold drugs in alleyways.[5][6] A 2011 report from the FBI listed Alaska, California, Missouri, Utah, and Washington as states where the Sons of Samoa operated.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "2011 National Gang Threat Assessment". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  2. ^ "People v. Pule, No. B197633 | Casetext Search + Citator".
  3. ^ a b c Foster, Chris (November 6, 1990). "The Gang's Not Here Any More: Santiago High Player Gave Up Street Life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Bailey, Eric (December 1, 1985). "The Gangs of Long Beach : Signs Are Obvious: Graffiti, Poverty, Drugs, Turf Wars, Murders". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Dobruck, Jeremiah; Osier, Valerie (February 10, 2020). "Trial ends with hung jury in 24-year-old murder case". Long Beach Post. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Osier, Valerie (January 30, 2020). "Trial in 1996 murder case begins 24 years after deadly gang shooting". Long Beach Post. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  7. ^ "3 Suspects Arrested In Gang Slaying Of San Jose Resident Tong Nguyen". KPIX. 30 March 2021.
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