Get these inmates in the chapel, he told them. Around the same time, prison officials expressed concern about the fifty or sixty members of the two Los Angeles-based black street gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, that had recently entered the system. Texas Syndicate. Armando, I cant jeopardize my life, man., Garcia took the story to the Texas Syndicate. Other inmates reacted to the TS as the TS members had first responded to California gang harassment. They are primarily poor children and in some cases orphans. A long, metal objecta homemade knife, or shankprotruded from his jugular. Justice therefore ordered that the two thousand building tenders be replaced by more prison guards, who would police the inmates with a firm but civilized hand. Six weeks later, in December 1987, Luis Sandoval was terminated from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. By the time 21-year-old Luis Sandoval, a new boot at Huntsvilles Ellis I Unit in the summer of 1985, was approached by an inmate with an unlit cigarette, his ears were still ringing from a more desperate request he had heard during his first week on the job. And the courier must possess a particular power: He must be able to walk through walls. In his first year on the job, Luis Sandoval found himself delivering drugs to a self-described drug runner on behalf of the states deadliest prison gang, the Texas Syndicate. He was a drug dealer, with connections dating back to his days peddling heroin in El Paso. Yes, he had made the phone calls. It was a pleasure to deal with an inmate man to man, for once. The recruitment techniques of gangs vary from gang to gang, but generally, they have some common recruitment techniques and requirements. The warden would later testify that Sandovals actions were somewhat heroic. But, Peterson added, the hero had seemed awfully calm in the midst of all the bloodshedperhaps too calm. Then he headed for the bathroom, a route that took him through a confined area guarded by CO II Nolan McCool. Then he returned to Arredondo. a. being sexed in. We assembled and maintain a team of the best talent with a keen eye on the future. There was no further violence, a signal to those who understood gang behavior that Arredondo had been snuffed out by one of his own rather than by a rival gang. 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. If you are facing serious criminal charges, you need a lawyer who is prepared to go to trial, Law Office of Sylvia A. Cavazos 110 Broadway St.Suite 210San Antonio, TX 78205 San Antonio Office, Phone:210-468-1130Toll Free: 800-681-6406Fax: 888-566-7765, 2023 Law Office of Sylvia A. Cavazos All Rights Reserved, Disclaimer| Site Map| Privacy Policy |Business Development Solutions by FindLaw, part of Thomson Reuters. But according to one Ellis I officer, Inmates watch everything we do. In 1978, in California, making the Texas Syndicate the oldest prison gang in Texas' history. Berry) Like fat-bellied ships heavily laden with riches, our 19 ewes lie uncomfortably at anchor, waiting to be offloaded. This allows members to function with less oversight, especially within the prison system. Texas Syndicate, a criminal organization whose members and associates engage in acts of violence, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion and narcotics distribution.. [3] While the gangs maintains its headquarters in California, there are around 1,000 members in prisons and jails throughout Texas, with many others operating on the outside. But that was if they caught him. The enterprise constitutes an ongoing organization whose members function as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives of the enterprise. Perhaps it was because Vicente was so quiet and servile or perhaps he had such a talent for lingering that the porters simply paid him no mind. In 2011, the FBI reported that Barrio Azteca also had members in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. 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.. (This inmates name has been changed as a condition of his interview.) The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 0333 344 7476. muck tool progression. Crippin knelt and lifted the inmates legs. The impulse is to accommodate the inmate, since prisonsspiritual wastelands of concrete and metalcry out for random acts of human kindness. Sandoval got off in Los Angeles and found his way to Van Nuys, where a cousin put him up in his apartment. They were founded in Nigeria over a decade ago, but now operate in several African countries. While the Texas Syndicate is primarily a prison-based gang, they have many members who operate on the outside. The murder came as a result of the Gulf Cartel hiring the Texas Syndicate to kidnap Serrano from his home in Texas and take him to cartel members in Mexico. Anyone who gets through that is considered tough enough to be a member. His neck had been slashed; his head was all but severed. After the big lockdown, metal detectors were installed in every prison unit to discourage the carrying of shanks. Asked point-blank by his attorney, Did you ever bring drugs inside TDCJ? Sandoval was one of the officers I wanted to be like, said one correctional officer whom Sandoval helped train. After that first transaction, Sandoval went back for morea total of three, four, or five times, he told me, though he vividly described six transactions to an investigator hired by his family. If you didnt treat your snitch right, he would scurry off to a more grateful listener and begin his new relationship by snitching on you. I cant honestly tell you why he did it, said the inmate of Sandoval. (For that matter, Garcia testified during the trial, outside the presence of the jury, that Sandoval muled drugs countless times.) Sandoval was never searched, he told me, and came to learn that the only way they bust you is if theyre told by a snitch, This guys coming in today., While Sandoval said there were other guardsand even supervisorsinvolved in drug activity, the Texas Syndicate preferred that Garcia deal directly with Sandoval, a fellow Hispanic. The rules require that a member continue his participation in the organization upon his release from prison. Beneath them in the gang hierarchy are captains, lieutenants, sergeants of arms, and numerous soldiers. An eight-inch metal shank lay nearby. 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. 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. Even before the call, Luis Sandoval had been sweating bullets. Apple Jack protected his mule, however, and though many knew of the officers extracurriculars, the hammer never fell on him. Video cameras monitor the hallways. I have the Experience and Reputation to Fight for Your Rights. He squinted through the smoke and the bars and the memories. 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. App., 2008) On Dec. 21, 2006, Texas Syndicate members are arrested for the contract killing of Julio A. Serrano. The strict rules and harsh discipline governing the Texas Syndicate help insure that the organizations members and associates function as a continuing unit despite any changes in membership. In total, the gang had an estimated 5,000 members in Juarez and 3,000 in the United States in 2013, Insight Crime reported. The next day, a Sunday, the newlyweds threw their possessions into a suitcase and a grocery bag, and drove Sandovals Datsun to Conroe. App. All of above. The Texas Syndicate (or Syndicato Tejano) is a mostly Texas-based prison gang that includes Hispanic and at one time White members (The organization at one time did allow non-Hispanic members to join, but that policy was repealed in the 1980s). Of course, sometimes a hazing ritual goes too far. If the question is answered correctly, he is then tasked with either stabbing another prisoner or a guard. Running Into Fire: The Legacy of Jeff Blackburn, The Apache, the Irish Catholic Priest, and a 40-Year-Old Miscarriage of Justice, An Unforgettable Texas Tale of Envy, Embezzlement, and Fruitcake, How the Texas Rangers Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in the State, How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. Ellis I officials caught wind of the deal through a snitch. texas syndicate initiation . Company profile page for Texas American Syndicate including stock price, company news, press releases, executives, board members, and contact information You were in the hallway, Smithey said. 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Sandoval took a step toward the crashgate but was held back by the more experienced guard. The inmate, a former gang operative now in protective custody, pulled a hand-rolled cigarette out of his white shirt and lit it. Their leader is one of the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals. Back in late 2014, police estimated their numbers to be over 500, but there is no telling how much that number has grown by now. Or if they cared to enforce the rule. Mike Hall writes about criminals, musicians, the law, and barbecue. Members and prospects are made aware that the affiliation with the TS requires their assistance with the criminal activity of the enterprise when called upon to do so and is an important step toward obtaining higher status in the organization. The Texas Syndicate 2,082 views Jun 18, 2022 62 Dislike Share Save Gangsters Cops and Politicians 3.4K subscribers Gang Expert Gabe Morales discusses the California roots of the Texas. Chow time meant that vast numbers of inmates would be crowded together in one room. The Latin Kings, a gang that started out back in the 1950's in Chicago, are among the largest gangs in the world. Once out of prison, many TS members continue to commit violent offenses, narcotics-related offenses, and other illegal activities in the area of the country where the members are living and associating with each other. 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). Their members are behind the killing of a pregnant U.S. consulate and her husband. But the evidence gathered by Justice clearly added up to a violation of the Eight Amendments protection from cruel and unusual punishment. Every inmate was confined to his cell, stripped of recreation and visitation privileges, and fed sandwiches that guards tossed through the bars of the cell. They blew the paycheck on the slot machines; they had a wonderful time. Some, but not all, TS members have TS tattoos. 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. In prison, he had come to learn, if you gave, you got. By the end of the eighties, the public fretting over prison gangs had dissipated. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has initiated a process, which provides a method for inmates who have been assigned to restrictive housing as a member of a security threat group on a previous incarceration, to renounce their membership with the security threat group (STG). 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. 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. Mungiki is a religious/ethnic sect in Kenya. Garcia, a four-time loser serving a life sentence for repeated theft and heroin offenses, was one of the friendlier inmates: 33 years old but actually grandfatherly in demeanora gentleman, you could almost sayquiet and unthreatening. If the recruit answers, "I will share my umbrella," he is deemed unworthy of membership and becomes a s*x slave. This past May, the bullet-riddled body of Mexican Mafia member Andres Sampyro was found in a San Antonio barrio. However, DPS downgraded the threat posed by the Barrio Azteca gang in 2015 after considering it among the state's most violent Texas-based gangs since 2010. Upon conviction of the drug trafficking charge: Castilleja, Luna, Salazar, Salas and Alvarez face between ten years and life in federal prison; Jimenez-Jaimes, Carrasco, Cantu, Accord, John Vera, Josh Vera, Anzaldua, Medina, Villarreal and May face between five and 40 years in federal prison; Armstead and Klasing face up to 20 years in federal prison based on their involvement, drug type and drug amount involved. Recalling the letter deliveries and phone messages, Sandoval might have wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated, following a one-car accident that left his limbs temporarily paralyzed. Change). Agencies assisting in making arrests include: Karnes County Sheriffs Office, Guadalupe County Sheriffs Office, Comal County Metro Narcotics Task Force, San Marcos Police Department, Hays County Narcotics Task Force and the San Antonio Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Texas Syndicates control of those in prison is so far-reaching that members both in and out of prison follow a procedure by which the TS ensure that members are not and have not been police informants. If you last six months in there, youll make it. After building tenders disappeared due to a court order, the Syndicate's activities turned to drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, protection, illegal gambling, and contract killing. Assistant U.S. It is seemingly a simple, humble favor asked of men in gray by men in white. But the report was not a signed confession. 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