Haylie Galvan
Barrio Azteca Gang
Gang violence in El Paso has been a major issue since the emergence of one particular gang- Barrio Azteca. The streets of El Paso were rapidly becoming a home to violent acts and drug trafficking. The infamous Barrio Azteca gang was formed in the 1980’s in Texas originally as a prison gang. It started as a prison gang before they expanded out onto the streets. Several of the founding members banded together in order to protect themselves from rival Hispanic gangs. Since there was a drug, war going on between two established Hispanic gangs. The Barrio Azteca was able to quickly grow in large numbers without much problems. They began to recruit new inmates coming into the prison for violent gang crimes. By 1996, the Barrio Azteca had grown to become the one of the most powerful criminal enterprises of southern Texas. Due in part to the increasing deportations of many of their gang members, the gang was able to expand their territory across the border into Mexico. Their main goal was being able to control the drug trade between Texas and Mexico ("Barrio Azteca”). Soon after starting to help the Juarez Cartel with their drug operation, they eventually formed an alliance with the cartel. Currently the gang has thousands of members in the United States and Mexican prisons, and continues to spread throughout the states (Cawley). Since the gang follows a hierarchical command of control, many of its leaders rule from within the prison system. The gang is commonly referred to as either the
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Cawley, Marguerite. "Mexico Cartel-US Gang Ties Deepening as Criminal Landscape
Fragments." Mexico Cartel-US Gang Ties Deepening as Criminal Landscape Fragments. Insight Crime- Investigation and Analysis of Organized Crime, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. "FBI Most Wanted: Eduardo Ravelo". MSN News. Web. 29 Jan.