Law enforcement agencies across the United States are increasingly concerned about the growing connections between Mexican Gangs, Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs), and their impact on suburban areas. Reports from federal, state, and local authorities highlight a disturbing trend: Mexican and Asian DTOs, the primary suppliers of illegal drugs in the US, are forging alliances with gangs, who act as the main retail distributors in many suburban communities.
These relationships involve major Mexican cartels such as the Federation, the Gulf Cartel, the Juárez Cartel, and the Tijuana Cartel, all actively seeking partnerships with street gangs, prison gangs, and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) operating in suburban environments.
Federation Cartel’s Gang Alliances
The Federation cartel, in particular, maintains strong operational links with domestic gangs within the Southwest region. Federal investigations reveal that the Guzmán-Loera DTO, a high-priority target, is actively recruiting Mexico-based members of the Barrio Azteca (BA) prison gang. While the exact role of these gang members is still under investigation, law enforcement believes they are being used to smuggle cocaine and heroin from Juárez, Mexico, into El Paso, Texas. From there, the drugs are distributed in local markets and transported to other drug markets throughout the country.
Furthermore, the Federation’s connections extend to other prison gangs, including Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos, California Mexican Mafia, and Texas Syndicate. These gangs are supplied with cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine by the cartel for distribution across the Southwest and for transportation to markets in other US regions.
Gulf and Juárez Cartel’s Expansion Through Gangs
The Gulf Cartel is also intensifying its relationships with US-based gangs to sustain and expand its drug distribution network. They are known to supply drugs to Sureños 13 street gang members in numerous cities and suburban areas within the Midwest and Southwest.
Similarly, the Juárez Cartel is a significant supplier of illicit drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, to a variety of street gangs. These gangs operate in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the Southwest, Midwest, Great Lakes, and Mid-Atlantic regions. Gangs identified as being supplied by the Juárez Cartel include Oldies 13, Gallant Knights, Latin Kings, Neighborhood 90s Crips, and Shotgun Crips, illustrating the broad reach of these cartel-gang connections.
Tijuana Cartel and Mexican Mafia Influence
The Tijuana Cartel’s strategy involves working with high-ranking members of the California-based Mexican Mafia prison gang. This partnership allows them to control the drug trafficking activities of Hispanic street gangs, specifically Sureños 13, in the Pacific and Southwest regions. This demonstrates a hierarchical structure where prison gangs act as intermediaries, managing street-level distribution for the cartels.
Asian DTOs and Gang Connections
Beyond Mexican cartels, several foreign-based Asian criminal organizations and DTOs are also leveraging relationships with US-based Asian gangs. These Asian gangs are crucial for distributing illicit drugs, primarily high-potency marijuana and MDMA, in both urban and suburban areas. Vietnamese and Chinese criminal groups have become major sources of high-potency marijuana and MDMA in the United States. They utilize Asian gangs to facilitate transportation and distribution in regions including the Southwest, New York/New Jersey, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific.
Groups like Wo Hop To and 14 K Triad in Hong Kong maintain strong ties with US-based Asian gangs such as Wah Ching, Black Dragons, Tiny Rascal Gangsters, and Black Star. These gangs are active in cities like Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, as well as their surrounding suburban communities, highlighting the nationwide scope of these networks.
The increasing collaboration between mexican gangs, Asian gangs and international drug cartels represents a significant challenge for law enforcement. The suburban areas, once considered removed from the intense drug-related violence of urban centers, are now increasingly affected by these complex and expanding criminal networks. Understanding these connections is crucial for developing effective strategies to combat drug trafficking and gang violence in these communities.
