I remember when he yelled fight. When he sent the letter off to his mother, he knew it wouldnt be long before law enforcement officials discovered his whereabouts. I cant honestly tell you why he did it, said the inmate of Sandoval. The short, apple-cheeked Hispanic man with the neatly combed hair and the Howdy Doody grin looked too soft to be an inmate or even a guard. They have their money. There are only weak inmates and strong inmates. West Texas Syndicate Energy. Conditions were no different on December 17, 1986, which was why Sandoval was given the assignment of B-wing hall boss that afternoon. 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. There were estimated _____ gang members at this time. They were founded in Nigeria over a decade ago, but now operate in several African countries. 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. At the Ferguson Unit, for example, guards wore special caps sporting a patch designed by an inmate. Throughout the Sandoval trial, guards on the witness stand were asked if they had ever stopped a gang member from murdering an inmate. Sandoval did as he was asked. The new boot suffered the usual abuse from veterans and inmates. First, a new prisoner or prospective member is asked a question by a member. Armando Garcia had seen this coming. The impulse is to accommodate the inmate, since prisonsspiritual wastelands of concrete and metalcry out for random acts of human kindness. Sandoval caught one inmate with a homemade oven and a laundry basket filled with about fifty prime-cut steaks. The enterprise (hereinafter the Texas Syndicate, TS, or the enterprise) engages in, and its activities affected, interstate and foreign commerce. 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. Or if they cared to enforce the rule. 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. As the free world would have it, there are good inmates and bad inmates. Pursuant to this objective, members act to protect each other and to build a strong, disciplined organization through intimidation and violent retribution against outsiders and through strict and harsh discipline of members and associates who violate the rules and goals of the enterprise. He did not turn himself in. Rank is taking care of them.. The Texas Syndicate, a prison gang that operates in and outside of penitentiaries, is considered by state law-enforcement officials to be among the most dangerous criminal organizations in. (LogOut/ The group was started in the 1970's in California's prison system, in response to the need for more protection for Mexican-Americans (primarily from Texas) who were in the Cali prison system. Their initiation rituals vary based on whether or not a given cell of the gang is in prison or on the outside. Look, man, I think Im being watched, Sandoval told Garcia the next day. By the end of the eighties, the public fretting over prison gangs had dissipated. They have an ultra-violent reputation that is well-earned. Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. Murder wasnt his thing. If he refused to do the favor, they could always snitch on him for lighting an inmates cigarettethough Sandoval didnt think either was that type of inmate. Theyd say, Dont mess with him., The new boot thereby became a feared boss among bosses. Initiation is one of those controversial topics that has gotten increased negative press in the last few years. 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. This group is one of the deadliest and most disgusting on Earth and employ many methods when it comes to spreading terror. 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. Rumor had it that inmate Jesse Turner had stood between an inmate and a prison official and had taken the blade himself. It was their fault, not his, but someone would have to take the fall. The real picture presents gloomy evidence of who really is in charge at TDCJnot the state, not the guards, but the convicts themselves. Other chapters of the gang make this cocktail but use the blood of other members and recruits, along with wine and ashes to make it. Its like a fly in a salt shaker., Today the numbers still favor the inmates: There are 47,751 of them and only 3,500 security personnelnone of whom carries a gunper eight-hour shift. Today, Sandoval says he mailed the letter and others like it with a kind heart but with bad judgment. And in an institution where judgment allowed some inmates to flaunt dangerous weapons while officials looked the other way, mailing the letter seemed like a minor transgression. [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. Eventually the guard found himself engaging in polite conversation with the inmate. TS rules are strictly enforced, primarily resulting in violent attacks on and executions of TS members who violate their rules. He lives in Ottawa, Canada, a desolate wasteland that nobody should call home. 0333 344 7476. muck tool progression. The five-foot-six, soft-voiced young man had spent most of his life in the South Texas town of Alice, where blacks were scarcely seen. texas syndicate initiation. The gate opened. Between full members and associates both within and outside of the prison system, the group has an estimated membership of around 10,000, and as the name implies, it is a white gang. Just as he entered, Sandoval heard someone yell, Hes on the floor! Word spread through the unit the way it always had, at bewildering speed: Joe Arredondo was a dead man. Get these inmates in the chapel, he told them. RELATED:21 alleged members of drug cartel-affiliated Barrio Azteca gang arrested in West Texas. Bring a gurney! called the lieutenant. 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. Then he returned to Arredondo. 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. But that was if they caught him. And the courier must possess a particular power: He must be able to walk through walls. A certain order prevailed, which stilled the critics and deflected the interest of the media. Texas Syndicate, a criminal organization whose members and associates engage in acts of violence, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion and narcotics distribution.. And as in any society, some lead while others are led. Initially formed in El Paso jails in 1986, the Barrio Azteca gang expanded to a transnational criminal organization, allying itself with the Juarez Cartel (pictured). Some, but not all, TS members have TS tattoos. You better get the hell out of here, Sandoval.. [2], Texas Syndicate members abide by a constitution requiring members to:[1], Additionally, gang leadership is determined by democratic elections, requiring a unanimous decision. The only witnesses who said that Sandoval had anything to do with the murder of inmate Joe Arredondo were two convicted felons: Carlos Rosas, a Texas Syndicate member who confessed to actually stabbing Arredondo but was offered a favorable deal in exchange for his testimony; and Ruben Ortiz, a convicted murderer and Texas Syndicate sex slave who was paroled after he agreed to testify. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. It took months before someone looked closely at the gas mask featured on the patch and realized that every correctional officer at the unit had been wearing the letters TS across his forehead. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. Of course, sometimes a hazing ritual goes too far. He was a drug dealer, with connections dating back to his days peddling heroin in El Paso. Sandovals apparent relationship with the gang did not escape the attention of the Ellis I population. But the system will not change. Not everyone was so sympathetic, however. Like any good criminal organization, there is an interesting ritual for all new members, although there are some variations for different chapters. Carnales make sure that the rules are known. Yell fight, he said, but the two officers seemed paralyzed. Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, pictured, is serving a life sentence in U.S. federal prison for leading the assassins. 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. Take over the hallway for me, Sandoval said to his subordinate while handing him his keys. He previously covered real estate, economic development, retail and tourism. On the other hand, if his superiors caught him delivering inmate mail, they could fire him on the spot. The 1985 lockdown put a damper on the atmosphere but not on the flow of drugs. Unlike most state crises, there is absolutely no mystery to the takeover of our prisons by violent gangs. Chris is a sports enthusiast with a fondness for politics, craft beer, horror movies and travel. Sandoval got up, ran into the hallway, and yelled fight twice. The Junky Funky Kids, who operate in areas in and around the Cape Flats part of Cape Town, South Africa, are just one of several dangerous gangs that operate in those areas. Yes, he had made the phone calls. Either the guard didnt know what was going on, or he did. Bring on the Shiplap? Pascual Salazar, age 36 of Austin, one kilogram or more of heroin. Aside from drug-related operations, the cartel has numerous other interests, including smuggling organs. If a muleta is ordered, the TS will refer to this muleta or order as having a green light.. The defendants, allegedly, conspired to distribute methamphetamine/heroin in Austin, San Marcos, Luling, Gonzales, New Braunfels, Hutto, Kenedy, Seguin, Bastrop and Tuscaloosa, AL, since January 2018. And in March 1991, McDonalds prosecution force indicted yet another Ellis I guard. Texas Mexican Mafia comes in a distant second with 4,700 members, followed by the Texas Syndicate (3,400 members), Latin Kings (2,100 members) and MS-13 (800 members). A long, metal objecta homemade knife, or shankprotruded from his jugular. The assailant was nowhere in sight. Sometimes, that person is allowed to chose between taking out a prison guard or a rival gang member, but other times, the decision is made by the member in a position of leadership. RELATED:Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping. Give me your shirt, he ordered an inmate and with it applied pressure to the wound. Such communication is often through letters and telephone calls. Other gangs have a voting system to determine whether the member is initiated or not. One was an officer who muled marijuana and cocaine for a black inmate known as Apple Jack, whose activities were no secret at the unit. Initiation into the group comes from other members, and members are required to make a life-long commitment. 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. If the recruit answers, "I will share my umbrella," he is deemed unworthy of membership and becomes a s*x slave. Convicts made primitive ovens out of foil-lined cardboard boxes equipped with a light bulb, and cooked deer or rabbit killed by inmates working in the fields. Later, when Vicente asked the guard to phone a number in Brady and ask the person who answered when Vicentes family would make their next visit, Sandoval had no objections. Sandoval described Ellis I warden Jerry Peterson as a good man but a figurehead. Sandoval got off in Los Angeles and found his way to Van Nuys, where a cousin put him up in his apartment. Their leader is one of the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals. Sandoval took the advice three years after Garcia gave it. Released or parole members who generate money for the gang must surrender a 10% tax ("the dime") of all proceeds toward the Texas Syndicate in prison. Most new members are initiated in a two-step process. 8/21/2008) (Tex. [2] As a street gang, heavy activity has been reported in Austin, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley and the Dallas Fort Worth area in Texas. At a given time, Sandoval would stand guard over hundreds of inmates. The most common form of initiation for a male gang member is. Texas Syndicate: Founded in the 1970s at the Folsom State Prison in California ; . It was a pleasure to deal with an inmate man to man, for once. The caller, known as El Carpintero, was a convicted child molester from El Paso who nonetheless had managed to obtain a job, under an assumed name, as an x-ray technician at Ellis I. El Carpintero instructed Sandoval to drive to a location in Huntsville where a sack containing marijuana awaited. Mungiki is a religious/ethnic sect in Kenya. We know who youre tied to. The Department of Public Safety has released its 2015 Texas Gang Threat Assessment report. Im on trial, sir, conceded the polite young man in the pin-striped suit who sat in the witness stand. The money chiefly comes from drugs. By the spring of 1986, prison officials had examined every inmate for telltale tattoos, weeded out identifiable gang members, and ordered that they spend the rest of their sentences in administrative segregation, away from the general population. The majority of what they do is criminal, from extortion to execution. 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. There is then a period of time during which those clothes cannot be washed. The Farmer.For this one farmer the worries are over, lie down and rest your head, Your time has been and struggles enough, put the tractor in the shed. The thought worked away at his nerves. It was not the most hospitable climate for trust, which was something Sandoval felt inclined to consider when Armando Garcia and Vicente held out a letter and asked Sandoval to mail it for them. Other gangs also sprang up: the Hermanos de Pistoleros, the Self-Defense Family, the Texas Mafia, the Nuestra Carnales. Relying on American trained experts with global experience, we have created an open minded culture with a never ending drive for innovation. Anyone who gets through that is considered tough enough to be a member. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 17 members and associates of the Texas Syndicate in connection with a methamphetamine/heroin trafficking operation in central Texas announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, and Gonzales . This gang is one of the most notorious out there and has even been mentioned directly by Donald Trump, who has pledged to eradicate them in particular. He was whisked off to the Walker County jail. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The experiences of being involved in Prison Gangs. While accurate numbers are difficult to come up with (do we include associates or just full members? Categories Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. During this investigation, authorities seized over 100 kilograms of methamphetamine and multiple firearms attributed to this organization. Ellis I officials caught wind of the deal through a snitch. While there are many Jihadis who willingly join their ranks, they often kidnap young people and force them into service. The gangs alleged leader Eduardo Ravela is on the FBIs Top Ten most wanted list. His neck had been slashed; his head was all but severed. 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