The Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme (Spanish for the letter “M”) and Los Carnales (“The Brothers”), stands as one of the most formidable and lethal prison gangs in the United States. Originating in the California prison system, this criminal organization has extended its influence far beyond prison walls, weaving a complex web of power across 13 states. Renowned for its unwavering code of silence, extreme violence, and deep-seated animosity towards African Americans, La Eme employs sophisticated tactics to infiltrate communities and expand its illicit operations. Estimates suggest that within prisons, the Mexican Mafia boasts 350 to 400 core members, complemented by tens of thousands of affiliated foot soldiers embedded within street gangs throughout California.
The Genesis of La Eme: Forged in Confinement
La Eme’s story began in 1957 within the confines of Deuel Vocational Institution, a California maximum-security prison. Luis (“Huero Buff”) Flores, a former street gang member, is credited with establishing the gang. Recognizing the potential for unified power, Flores strategically recruited incarcerated leaders from various Hispanic gangs in Los Angeles. His vision was to create a “gang of gangs,” a cohesive and ruthless entity capable of dominating the California prison system, the largest in the nation. Drawing inspiration from the Sicilian Mafia, Flores structured La Eme with a hierarchical composition, aiming to forge an unbreakable alliance among Hispanic gang leaders. Membership became a lifelong commitment, secured through sponsorship and a solemn blood oath. The gang adopted distinctive symbols, most notably the letter “M” and a black hand tattoo, to signify allegiance.
Law enforcement officials announce arrests related to the Mexican Mafia.
The Mexican Mafia rapidly asserted its dominance, growing in both numbers and influence within the prison system. In an attempt to disrupt La Eme’s burgeoning power, California prison authorities implemented a strategy of dispersing members, transferring some to youth facilities and others to different adult prisons. However, this maneuver inadvertently fueled the gang’s expansion. Instead of weakening La Eme, it facilitated the formation of factions within adult prisons, further solidifying its reach. By 1966, the Mexican Mafia had seized control of narcotics trafficking within California prisons and was aggressively pursuing a monopoly over all illicit activities within the state’s correctional facilities.
As other prison gangs emerged during the same period, the Mexican Mafia strategically aligned itself with the Aryan Brotherhood. This alliance was rooted in their shared antagonism towards the Black Guerrilla Family and La Nuestra Familia. Both La Eme and the Aryan Brotherhood were united by their racial prejudice against African Americans. According to the FBI, La Nuestra Familia and the Mexican Mafia primarily consist of Hispanic American members. However, a key distinction lies in their geographic origins: Mexican Mafia members predominantly hailed from barrios within metropolitan Los Angeles County, while La Nuestra Familia drew its members from the more rural northern regions of California, areas often viewed as inferior by La Eme.
Expansion Beyond Bars: La Eme’s Street Reign
The Mexican Mafia’s ambition soon transcended the prison system. Joe (“Pegleg”) Morgan, despite his Slavic heritage, played a pivotal role in extending La Eme’s reach to the streets. In 1971, he carried out one of the gang’s first street executions, murdering fellow gang member Alfonso (“Pachie”) Alvarez. Morgan’s ruthless actions and strategic influence later earned him the revered title of “godfather” within the gang. This execution marked a turning point, signaling the beginning of La Eme’s organized criminal operations beyond prison walls. As Mexican Mafia members were released on parole, they returned to the streets of Los Angeles and integrated into local gangs, effectively spreading La Eme’s ideology and control. This outward migration fueled a significant expansion, resulting in thousands of members across hundreds of street gangs outside prisons, and establishing a lucrative criminal enterprise. Gang members who pledged allegiance to the Mexican Mafia became known as sureños, meaning “southerners” in Spanish.
In 1971, Rodolfo (“Cheyenne”) Cadena, a prominent early leader of the Mexican Mafia, issued a strategic directive. He ordered paroled gang members to infiltrate self-help addiction programs and community groups in East Los Angeles. Cadena’s objective was to establish a pervasive gang presence within Mexican American community organizations. By embedding themselves in these groups, La Eme aimed to cultivate a veneer of goodwill among the local population while simultaneously using these organizations as fronts for their expanding criminal activities.
La Eme in the 21st Century: Criminal Enterprises and Ethnic Tensions
The Mexican Mafia’s criminal portfolio in the 21st century encompasses a wide range of illicit activities, including robbery, extortion, assault, murder, illegal weapons trafficking, and the distribution of narcotics such as heroin and methamphetamine. La Eme exerts control over territories surrounding Los Angeles, dictating the operations of local affiliated gangs and extracting “taxes” from them in exchange for allowing them to operate within these territories. The internal hierarchy of the Mexican Mafia remained shrouded in secrecy until 2002, when a high-ranking member defected and cooperated with the federal government, providing crucial insights into the organization’s structure and operations. In the early 21st century, disturbing rumors emerged alleging that the Mexican Mafia had ordered an ethnic cleansing campaign within its jurisdictions. These rumors suggested that La Eme instructed its foot soldiers and affiliated gangs to specifically target African Americans. These allegations underscore the deeply ingrained racial animosity and the ruthless tactics employed by the Mexican Mafia to maintain its power and control.
In conclusion, La Eme, the Mexican Mafia, remains a potent force in the criminal underworld. From its origins as a prison gang in California, it has grown into a vast network with influence extending across multiple states. Its reputation for violence, secrecy, and criminal enterprise solidifies its position as a major threat, both within and beyond prison walls, demanding continued vigilance and law enforcement efforts to combat its pervasive reach.
