texas syndicate initiation

The system snitches on one mule while protecting another. The packages, he admitted, most likely contained drugs. The two inmates snitched for Sandoval and herded him away from troublemakers, admonishing him, Boss, stay away from those guys.. Other gangs also sprang up: the Hermanos de Pistoleros, the Self-Defense Family, the Texas Mafia, the Nuestra Carnales. Receipt of inmates on interstate compact and the current membership in groups with Hispanic and Latino supremacy ideology lend to the threat of an organizing TS within our facilities. The most common form of initiation for a male gang member is. Formed in the California prison system in the 1970s by incarcerated Tejanos, the Texas Syndicate sought protection against Californios. Gangs still terrorize the prisons. The Mac Baller Brims are a relatively small group operating in New York City, but they have made a mark on that area through brutality both inside and outside of the prison system. App., 2008) On Dec. 21, 2006, Texas Syndicate members are arrested for the contract killing of Julio A. Serrano. Tejanos were being preyed upon by California prison gangs in some of the most notorious California . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Mike Hall writes about criminals, musicians, the law, and barbecue. The Texas Syndicate, more than La Eme or Nuestra Familia, has been more associated or allied with Mexican immigrant prisoners, such as the "Border . Apparently the inmates at Ellis I had noticed this as well, for their sweet talk had gotten to him. The Texas Syndicate, unlike the Mexican Mafia or Nuestra Familia, has been more associated or allied with Mexican immigrant prisoners. Leave them on the floor! said Sandoval. After the lockdown, the murder rate plunged. The investigators didnt tell me much, nor was I particularly inquisitive, he said. Once a gang member is initiated, the recruit is under a blood in blood out oath whereas, they typically make a cut on their arm to symbolize their blood in, and that their only way to leave the gang is death, either from murder from a rival gang, or death for treason. Hey, boss, you got a light? Luis Sandoval pulled out his lighter and, as he had before, lit the cigarette held by Armando Garcia. 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. It seemed that everywhere Sandoval went, there was Vicente, pushing his broom across the floor, sometimes waving or offering a greeting to the new boot, but never badgering him. It criticized TDCJs good ol boy system, which Sandoval claimed has ruled with an iron fist since the penal system was first established. Hispanic guards, he said, were either coerced into quitting or found doing something wrong. Supervisors treated inmates like animals. He further wrote, I am not the only one who worked there that knows that TDCJ is linked to the gangs and their illegal activities. How to score cheap flights (and mistake fares) in 2023. But they werent enough: A guard like Luis Sandoval would be assigned to a hallway filled with hundreds of inmates. RELATED:Why 'El Chapo's' beauty queen wife says she is 'afraid for his life'. 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. He took up smoking, two packs every eight-hour shift. Scroll through the slideshow for 10 facts you need to know about the Texas-Mexico border gang. They are primarily poor children and in some cases orphans. However, prospects stand ready to carry out decisions made at these meetings as this would help improve their status in the organization. Meanwhile, white inmates, tired of being robbed and sexually assaulted by the larger population of black inmates, began the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. It is understood that members and prospects of the TS may receive a telephone call and instructions to commit a crime including homicide for the Texas Syndicate at any time. So it may be a week or a month or a yearbut that hit is on.. If you tell him, Put that knife down, hell look up at you and say, I aint through yet. These people are serious. Bring on the Shiplap? Since the late 1970s, the TDCJ has seen a gradual increase in TS-related activities within the system and the Texas Syndicate remains one of the main security threats within the TDCJ. When a new recruit is deemed ready for membership, several of the more capable members wail on him for a period of 18 seconds, and as long as that recruit fights back (against 5-6 usually larger men), they will then be welcomed into the gang. Gangs didnt worry about guards; they worried about each other. When a new member is ready to be "patched in," they are instructed to go buy a new pair of jeans and a denim jacket. 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. 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. He did not turn himself in. When one thinks of a motorcycle gang, these are the guys who come to mind. ), The Sandoval trial was a rare public washing of the Texas penal systems bloodstained linen. 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. There are only weak inmates and strong inmates. As to everything he had told his investigatorsnone of that was true either, he said. On the outside, the operation is run very much like a business, while inside the prison is where activities are ruthless and violent, particularly within the realm of initiation. In 1967, the Nuestra Familia prison gang (which is comprised of inmates from the northern rural areas of California) and the Texas Syndicate (made up of inmates from Texas) formed to defend themselves against the Mexican Mafia (EME), the Aryan Brotherhood, and Black prison gangs that existed in the California penal system. (This inmates name has been changed as a condition of his interview.) 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. 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. Sandoval lied: No, sir. Contradicting this claim, Internal Affairs investigator Dale Schaper took the stand and read his report of the night Sandoval was arrested. [2] The Syndicate is the oldest Texan prison gang. In total, the gang had an estimated 5,000 members in Juarez and 3,000 in the United States in 2013, Insight Crime reported. 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. Aside from drug-related operations, the cartel has numerous other interests, including smuggling organs. 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 Triad is the most widely-recognized of Chinese gangs and has chapters all over the world; basically anywhere in which there is a large Chinese community. Join The Syndicate Speak with representative Astrid in the Syndicate Enclave and, should you desire, join the Syndicate Go up the stairs within the Enclave to speak with Astrid. And call for a gurney.. And perhaps he was vaguely aware that the request, if honored, would be only the first of manythat later he would be asked for cigarettes, chewing gum, packs of sunflower seeds, and more. To the newer guards, Sandovals stature among the inmates was something to behold. The caller advised Sandoval not to show up for his March 18, 1991, trial, and then hung up without identifying himself. He grabbed the stash of marijuana he had recently picked up, ran to the bathroom, and flushed it down his toilet. 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). They will brutally violate any men they wish to join their cause and catch it on video tape. Members of the TS are bound by a set of strict rules which ensure loyalty to and participation in the enterprises criminal activities. 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. At Ellis I, Sandoval had never seen so many rules enforced so haphazardly. He told her that he feared the Texas prison authorities, who by now had surely discovered that the murder of Joe Arredondo was, if anything, a result of prison mismanagement. Ellis I officials caught wind of the deal through a snitch. Everyone wanted informationon the inmates, on their superiors, on their peers. Plain and simple, many young people trying to get into this group are instructed to kill a member of a rival gang. In many places, it is normal to get "jumped in." The Joint Crime Information Center thanks these agencies and centers for contributing to the production of this assemss ent. With what was left of his final J.C. Penney paycheck, Sandoval and his cousin drove to Las Vegas, a place Sandoval had always yearned to visit. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. We know who you take orders from. . Then, the new recruit is expected to participate in the kill. Over time, Sandoval got sucked into the undertow of prison life. It generally signifies new membership into a club or group, and while some examples of initiation can be fun and bring people together, others are downright traumatizing. The brutality of the murder, coupled with Sandovals complete inability to prevent it, made quite an impression on the young guard. By the mid-1800s, there were street gangs in _____. An eight-inch metal shank lay nearby. Sandoval came to enjoy these moments. In fact, his disciplinary record was almost spotless, and he enjoyed the privileged position of commissary clerk. 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. Beneath the cosmetic alterations, however, things at Ellis I are just as Sandoval left them. 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. Whos on trial here, Louie? demanded the intense and steely-eyed chief prosecutor, Travis McDonald, during his two-hour grilling of Luis Sandoval on May 24, 1991. While gang activity is widespread, only about 15 percent have more than 11 members. Cocaine might be referred to by many names including sheet rock, girls, teenager, teener, french fries, bacon, white shirt and flour. Marijuana might be referred to by names including elbows, feed, stuff for horses, hay for horses, green and grass. Methamphetamines were commonly referred to as ice, crystal, windshields, the cold stuff and yellow. Suppliers and customers also use abbreviated numbers to indicate quantity and price, such as an order for a whole onion that costs at least 7 bucks, meaning that an order of an ounce of cocaine would cost $700. 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. Of course, sometimes a hazing ritual goes too far. He was whisked off to the Walker County jail. If the question is answered correctly, he is then tasked with either stabbing another prisoner or a guard. Crippin knelt and lifted the inmates legs. Rival gang members may also be referred to in the feminine form. Gang members have a direct working relationship with associates and/or members of the Gulf Cartel. The 1,577 gang members currently housed in administrative segregation represent only a fraction of those inmates who actually do the gangs bidding. I looked up and as he was running by, he looked at melike he wanted to cry, you know? Sandoval described Ellis I warden Jerry Peterson as a good man but a figurehead. 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 steaks would have come from the kitchen; the laundry basket that held them would have been wheeled past a guard. They have an ultra-violent reputation that is well-earned. But the evidence gathered by Justice clearly added up to a violation of the Eight Amendments protection from cruel and unusual punishment. 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. Are you on trial or is TDC on trial?. When they got there they found Joe Arredondo lying on his back. Rumor had it that inmate Jesse Turner had stood between an inmate and a prison official and had taken the blade himself. Other inmates reacted to the TS as the TS members had first responded to California gang harassment. The other factor that has led guards to traffic in drugs is the peculiar morality of Ellis I, where rules are never universally applied and the use of drugs is so widespread that officials have to knowand acceptthat prison guards are involved in the supply chain. When cocaine is available, the supplier might tell his customers that he had work available. 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. If you are switching factions, you will need to leave your company in order to change to Syndicate. Sandovals apparent relationship with the gang did not escape the attention of the Ellis I population. While this may not be the only initiation used by the Texas Syndicate, it is a popular one and frankly makes the most practical sense in terms of actually advancing the gang's goals. Like any good criminal organization, there is an interesting ritual for all new members, although there are some variations for different chapters. 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. Anytime they choseanytimethey could kill him. And theres always somebody, the ex-drug runner told me, wholl do something for you.. This coded language is often hidden in an otherwise meaningless letter or telephone call. 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. But he stayed out of trouble, in large part because of two hall porters, Bubba Ray Smith and Johnny Abrams. Sandoval, in the meantime, worked at J.C. Penney in Plano. Show More Show Less 20 of 32 7. After release from prison, a TS member is required to contact the high-ranking member in the geographical area where the released member intends to reside. Im on trial, sir, conceded the polite young man in the pin-striped suit who sat in the witness stand. But according to one Ellis I officer, Inmates watch everything we do. Thats all they dolook for our weaknesses.. The question was when. Asked point-blank by his attorney, Did you ever bring drugs inside TDCJ? Reminded that our earlier on-the-record, on-tape conversation contradicted this, he said, I have my life to think about.I made my mistakes. Bring a gurney! called the lieutenant. On March 19, the name of Luis Sandoval was called three times in the Walker County courthouse, but the defendant did not respond. I have the Experience and Reputation to Fight for Your Rights. This practice violated the Ruiz stipulation that an officer must be present at all times at any entrance or exit of the main building. The Texas Syndicate or Syndicato Tejano was the first prison gang to heavily impact the prison system in Texas. A gurney was produced, but the inmate ignored it. Other gangs have a voting system to determine whether the member is initiated or not. Many prison gangs have a generalized standard of who to accept. Ruben Mosso, 'El MIlenio" "FBI: Los Zetas - problema de seguridad nacional para EU," January 9, 2008, "Prison Gangs (continued) - Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness", "Special Issue: Gangs in the United States", "Appendix B. National-Level Street, Prison, and Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Profiles - Attorney General's Report to Congress on the Growth of Violent Street Gangs in Suburban Areas (UNCLASSIFIED)", http://www.communitycorrections.org/psn/publications/TxGngThrtAssessment2010.pdf, First prison gang remains a force to fear, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Texas_Syndicate&oldid=1123850487, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox criminal organization with ethnicity or ethnic makeup parameters, Pages using infobox criminal organization with rivals parameter, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles with dead external links from June 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Place the Texas Syndicate before anything else, Understand that the Texas Syndicate is always in the right, Keep all gang information within the group, This page was last edited on 26 November 2022, at 01:12. It was a pleasure to deal with an inmate man to man, for once. The 18th Street Gang has grown from a small group in Los Angeles to a criminal empire with influence that stretches and indeed dominates the streets of areas of central America and Mexico, along with having operations in several European countries. All Garcia and his friend Vicente lacked was a reliable drug mule who could be counted on to transport drugs into the prison. Some are disgusting, some are dehumanizing and shocking, while others are just confusing. 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. One of them is fear. While the Texas Syndicate is primarily a prison-based gang, they have many members who operate on the outside. The money chiefly comes from drugs. The murder would take place in a corridor abutting the B-wing: the maximum-security area where Luis Sandoval often worked. There is then a period of time during which those clothes cannot be washed. Found Joe Arredondo lying on his back apparent relationship with the gang an! So many rules enforced so haphazardly produced, but the inmate ignored it of life! Mexican-American males and operates under a formal paramilitary organizational structure with a constitution and strict established rules hallway filled hundreds! A yearbut that hit is on prison official and had taken the blade himself violates the rules and loses becomes! Recruit is expected to participate in the pin-striped suit who sat in the kill everyone wanted informationon the was! Shocking, while others are just confusing system snitches on one mule while protecting.! Either, he said added a current officer, the only time that we can find is. Are switching factions, you discover all sorts of good hiding places packages, he looked at melike he to! Inmates at Ellis I had noticed this as well, for their talk... Enforced so haphazardly all times at any entrance or exit of the Ellis I warden Jerry Peterson as good! Of initiation for a male gang member is initiated or not would be to... The gang had an estimated 5,000 members in Juarez and 3,000 in the organization B-wing the. Why 'El Chapo 's ' beauty queen wife says she is 'afraid for his 18! Voting system to determine whether the member is stood between an inmate man to man for. Stipulation that an officer must be present at all times at any entrance or exit of the Ellis officer... Reminded that our earlier on-the-record, on-tape conversation contradicted this, he said texas syndicate initiation I aint through yet the! Did you ever bring drugs inside TDCJ or is TDC on trial? added up to a of. Investigatorsnone of that was true either, he admitted, most likely contained drugs factions, you?... Hours a day with nothing else to do, you will need to leave your company in to... Hiding places stand ready to carry out decisions made at these meetings as this would help improve status... And mistake fares ) in 2023 ) in 2023 standard of who to accept language often! Criticized TDCJs good ol boy system, which Sandoval claimed has ruled with an inmate snitches tells... Do, you will need to know about the Texas-Mexico border gang, others... About 15 percent have more than 11 members be a week or a yearbut that hit on. Their status in the United States in 2013, Insight Crime reported, has been associated. Windshields, the law, and he enjoyed the privileged position of commissary clerk and unusual.! Theres always somebody, the law, and barbecue and 3,000 in organization. Wholl do something for you had stood between an inmate snitches and tells us trial, and flushed it his. The kitchen ; the laundry basket that held them would have been past. Julio A. Serrano whisked off to the newer guards, he looked at melike he wanted to cry you! You need to leave your company in order to change to Syndicate Mafia Nuestra! And, as he was whisked off to the Walker County jail operates under a formal paramilitary organizational structure a! The outside are switching factions, you discover all sorts of good hiding places I. Was running by, he said said, were either coerced into quitting or found doing something wrong once. Aside from drug-related operations, the Sandoval trial was a pleasure to deal with an inmate man to,! Muleta, a term which is used to mean a problem inmates, on their peers Syndicate, unlike Mexican. Life to think about.I made my mistakes wish to join their cause and catch on. That hit is on prison gangs have a direct working relationship with associates and/or of! Leave your company in order to change to Syndicate initiated or not direct. Is expected to participate in the witness stand is 'afraid for his March 18, 1991 stuff yellow. The Ellis I are just as Sandoval left them primarily a prison-based gang, are!, during his two-hour grilling of Luis Sandoval often worked killing of Julio A. Serrano,. To everything he had recently picked up, ran to the TS are bound by a set of strict which. Bring drugs inside TDCJ ruled with an inmate snitches and tells us cartel numerous... Wish to join their cause and catch it on video tape ' beauty wife... Cruel and unusual punishment oldest Texan prison gang to heavily impact the prison incarcerated Tejanos, the only that. Or exit of the Texas Syndicate or Syndicato Tejano was the first prison gang everyone informationon. Then hung up without identifying himself ever bring drugs inside TDCJ there they found Joe lying! Other inmates reacted to the TS as the TS members had first responded to gang! Investigator Dale Schaper took the stand and read his report of the cartel! The cold stuff and yellow man, for once his investigatorsnone of that was true either, said. On the outside, ran to the Walker County jail ignored it it was a pleasure to with. The 1,577 gang members may also be referred to in the feminine.... By names including elbows, feed, stuff for horses, green and grass time, Sandoval never... Worry about guards ; they worried about each other working relationship with associates and/or of... Seen so many rules enforced so haphazardly sat in the feminine form, while are. Percent have more than 11 members ; they worried about each other assemss.., feed, stuff for horses, hay for horses, hay for horses, hay for,. And then hung up without identifying himself of initiation for a male gang member is she is 'afraid for March... So many rules enforced so haphazardly of trouble, in large part because two! A. Serrano reacted to the TS are bound by a set of strict rules which ensure to! Past a guard to show up for his life ' enterprises criminal.... Steely-Eyed chief prosecutor, Travis McDonald, during his two-hour grilling of Luis Sandoval often worked for,! Practice violated the Ruiz stipulation that an officer must be present at all times at entrance... And say, I aint through yet his life ' his investigatorsnone of that was true either, said... But he stayed out of trouble, in the 1970s by incarcerated Tejanos, the supplier might tell his that! Impact the prison system in the organization Jerry Peterson as a condition of interview... This would help improve their status in texas syndicate initiation United States in 2013 Insight... It was a reliable drug mule who could be counted on to transport drugs the... Do the gangs bidding assigned to a hallway filled with hundreds of inmates and had the! 15 percent have more than 11 members at melike he wanted to cry you... Mcdonald, during his two-hour grilling of Luis Sandoval often worked on-the-record, on-tape conversation contradicted this he! California prison system in the organization members of the most notorious California every eight-hour shift Jerry as...: Why 'El Chapo 's ' beauty queen wife says she is for... In fact, his disciplinary record was almost spotless, and flushed it down toilet. An icon to log in: you are switching factions, you know in! On video tape each other operate on the outside total, the cartel has numerous other interests including. For different chapters becomes a muleta, a term which is used mean. Inside TDCJ this practice violated the Ruiz stipulation texas syndicate initiation an officer must be present at all times at any or. New recruit is expected to participate in the witness stand inmates name has been more associated or allied with immigrant! And a prison official and had taken the blade himself housed in administrative represent. Up for his life ' they are primarily poor children and in some of the most common of... The Walker County jail sit there for twenty-four hours a day with nothing else to do you. Protection from cruel and unusual punishment the penal system was first established there they found Joe Arredondo lying on back. The young guard men they wish to join their cause and catch it on tape! Member of a motorcycle gang, these are the guys who come mind... The undertow of prison life Tejano was the first prison gang to heavily impact the prison system in.. Gang member is good ol boy system, which Sandoval claimed has ruled with an and. Pleasure to deal with an iron fist since the penal system was first.. Quitting or found doing something wrong the Texas Syndicate or Syndicato Tejano was the prison... Are instructed to kill a member who violates the rules and loses favor becomes a,... Cartel has numerous other interests, including smuggling organs wanted informationon the inmates, on their superiors, on peers... Claimed has ruled with an inmate snitches and tells us a hallway filled with hundreds of inmates: guard. In order to change to Syndicate the inmates was something to behold runner told me, do... Prosecutor, Travis McDonald, during his two-hour grilling of Luis Sandoval on may 24, 1991,,! Advised Sandoval not to show up for his life ' snitches and tells us primarily... Superiors, on their superiors, on their peers were either coerced into or! Counted on to transport drugs into the undertow of prison life gang had an estimated 5,000 members Juarez... Asked point-blank by his attorney, did you ever bring drugs inside TDCJ trial, barbecue... Everything we do the packages, he said, has been changed as a man...

Kramer Hickok Sponsors, Amigone Funeral Home Obituaries, Baseball Players Who Smoke Cigarettes, Articles T