Week 1 Lecture
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Bandido & Bikers only crime group to start in America and expanded
Biker gangs are transnational
Surenos street gangs can be transnational
Exporting American Gang Culture  American gang culture has gone
transnational, also developing transnational gang (ie, 18th street  transnational
doesn’t mean all 45,000 are transnational, one gang from 18th street can be
transnational but not all)
In thte total gang population, the actual number of transnational gang member is
small
Violence is a street language
Stereptyping – putting label on entire group based on activity of a few people (ex.
Few squads of 18th street are transnational  so 18th street is known as
transnational gang, even though number of transnational gang member is small)
There is no standard definition to describe what a street gang, prison gang, or
outlaw motorcycle gang is
There is no universal definition on transnational gangs, yet many countries are
impacted by transnational gangs
Transnational Gangs: 3 or more, common identifier, association, involved in
criminal activity between countries
Globalisation is a term that really describes a process
Technology appears to facilitate and enhance globalisation
Technology will also help in globalisation of criminal activities, behaviors, and
stereotypes
Some gangs sets or cliques have established their gangs and their criminal
enterprises in other countries
America gangs formed for protection
Generational gangs – generational development as it applies to gangs as whole
changing, expanding market control
1st – turf gangs, street gangs, loose leadership (horizontal), focuses on loyalty and
turf
2nd – market – oriented drug gangs, engaged in business, entrepreneurial, use
violence, to protect markets, broader market focus and graphic areas, drug
centered
3rd – mix of political/mercenary elements, evolved political aims, operate globally,
use organiation to garner power, engage in mercenary type activities, can generate
economic and military power to equal or better that of many nation-states
Factors that determine evolutionary potential: GPS, globalisation, politicalization,
sopstication (organisation)
It is possible that outlaw motorcycle gangs can be 1st and 2nd generation gangs
Maras “youth gangs” – result of globalisation, poverty, and marginalization that
groups this region of Central America, gangs in this region are part of
transnational organisation
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American deportation is not the main reason why we have gangs in Central
America, it only acts as a catalyst
 59% of gang members were deported back to mexico, over half were surenos
 only 1.74% of deported immigration population were gang members
 Migration: poverty, quality of life issue, over 50% of central America live in
povery
 Local violence and povery motivate mass migration
 MS 13 and 18th street DID NOT form in Mexico, they originated in Los angeles
 Number one item of contraband in prison – cell phones
Week 1 Readings
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Euro-paradox – Europeans deny existence of street gangs because the gangs they
see do not fit the stereotypical depictions of leader dominated, well organised,
violent groups found in American media and films. There is a tendency for
government to not regnize the existence of gangs even when they are present, aka
“global paradox”
Globalisation – increased mobility of goods, services, labour, technology &
capital throughout the world
Central America
Maras – youth gangs
o Effects of poverty, social stigma, and being ostracized fuels gang growth
o 14 to 24 age group in US do most violent crimes and most in this group
are victims of violent crimes
o single parent households have significant risk factor multiplying the
likehood of youths joining street gangs
o thale push factors – factor that lead immigration from this region to
America/other countries: poverty, lack of employment opportunities,
failure to complete high school, lack of access to public health resources,
lack of confidence/trust in government
o causes youth to seek refuge in street gangs that provide a sense of
belonging, identity, support and respect
o identical to the Hill Lui and Hawkins risk factors that heighten risk of
joining street gangs in US
o central American gang members are stigmatized and treated as societal
leepers
o gang members are excluded from limited resources (push factors)
o gangs less than 1% in central America
o gang problem are most severe in Guatemale, El savdaor, Honduras
o gangs are outcome of construction process that were affected by historical
events, social conditions, political decisions, circumstantive events
o gangs started with an excluded group
o “the more you fear, the more you respect me”
sullivan & bunker – generational gangs
o 1st – traditional, primarily turf oriented, gang loyalty, unsophistated
leadership, indivuslalistic, use violence to protect turf or reputation
o 2nd – expand criminal business, centralised leadership, focus on drug
trafficking, and market protection, use violence to control competition and
protect markets, use violence as political interference, link to provide or
buy mercenary services
o “domestic violence is latin america’s most serious security threat”
o 3rd – sophisticated/transnational, control rural or ungoverned territory
 many central street gangs are in the “first generation stage”
 gangs become transnational  more sophisticated (vertical leadership_, more
globalized (expand globally) , in local politics
 purpose of gang’s increased operations is to make money, if money is at stake
then violence increases
 mafia theory – street gangs evolve into sophisticated organized criminal groups
seeking out new markets for new members or drug trafficking operations (ex.
2nd/3rd generation, gangster disciples)
 symbolic association theory – new gang adopts brand of parent gang, often there
is no direct link back to parent gang
 “sombre negra” – black shadow, extra violent? Killings  community’s belief in
existence of groups known as “sombre negra”
 many of general population believe these groups exist and are
responsible for many reported and unreported deaths of local and
US deported gang members
 local government officially formally deny the existence of such
groups
 another type of gang movement can be inadvertent – gang member visiting
friend/family and form gang clique he/she belonged to, may not have formal
connection to American based gang
 five areas transnational gangs operate globally – drugs, arms, intellectual property,
people and money trades
 primary source of income for street gangs – drug trafficking
 most gang members who sell drugs do so independtly and
are not cirectly connected to large organized national and
transnaitonla gangs involved in drug sales
 majority of drugs sold and consumed illegally in the country are imported from
foreign countries
 drug trafficking – movement of large quanity of drugs
 drug distribution – movement and retail sales of smaller quantities of illegal drugs
 80% of victims to gun death – women and children
 weapon of choice for gangs – gangs
 “chimbas” homade weapons
 illegal arm trafficking is another way transnational gangs can make money
 human trafficking – not voluntary and uses force, fraud or fear to exploit the
victim for labour and services (doesn't have to be international)
o has become a business that some gangs enter into
 human smuggling – voluntary, international, paid fee
 few mexican drug trafficking organisations are involved in human smuggling
 majority victims of human trafficking – women and children
 private ----? Are another way to sell and get money from gangs
 el rakins – “foundation of knowledge” conspired to commit terrorist acts on the us
on behalf of libayn goeernment for 2.5 million dollars
 street gangs tend to make unique alliances of business relations in order to expand
markets and increase profits
 no evidence that link central American gangs and ek rakin or other terrorist
groups
 global proliferation – when people move tey take their culture with them rather
than in search of new members
o if a gang clique is formed by the relocated gang
member, it most likely does not have any
connection to the parent gang
Week 2 Lecture
 All of our major gangs have internet website
 Surenos – Latino gangs in Southern California, blue, Eme, 13
 Nortenos/Norte – Latino Gangs in Northern California, red
 Bloods and Crips were not the first to identity with the colour red and blue, it was
the Latino prison gangs from Northern and Southern California
 Nuestro Familia – prison gang from Northern California, chose colour red and
assigned blue to Surenos
 Three Dots – Mi Vida Loca, or party dots, doesn’t mean you’re a gang member
 Hells Angel – biggest transnational motorcycle gang
 Skinheads – smallest gang, first to use internet
 18th street gang has their own record label called Triple Sex Records
 Poverty and violence are primary reason for people to move
 No standard definition of gangs/transnational gangs
 15 youths killed everyday, for every shot, 5 is injured – 15 to 5
 Violence is a universal language understood by street gangs
 Economic membrane – economic separation between US and Mexico. US has
hidden workforce that Americans don’t want, so people move to America
 8-10% of gang do violent crime
 Gangs are function of demographic geography
 US has less than 5% of world population, but we consume over half of nation’s
illegal drugs
 Primary source of income for street gangs come from drug sales
 In America, majority gang members are adults
 All street gangs do not fit the penal code definition
 Memes propagate themselves through culture, sort of like a virus and are
responsible for globalisation of gang culture
Week 2 Reading
 What affects society can affect the military
 All types of gang related crime has occurred on national and international military
bases
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Graffiti is one of the first indicators of gang activity and usually is suggestive of
the presence of gang members
 Not every military instillation has a gang problem
 Gang membership within military can be encountered in four basic areas: enlisted
ranks, dependents, civilian employees, and from ranks of officers
 Gang members have severed in military for many years
 Money is a powerful and key motivator for gang members
 Anyone entering a military installation has the ability to smuggle contraband like
drugs or weapons on or off the base
 Gang Disciple – criminal street gang within Army, no assault ever goes
unanswered, leader was kicked out of bar and send 3 gang members (2 soldiers
and 1 civilian) to kill the owner
 Being a gang member is not a crime, what disqualifies a gang member from
military service is felony arrest and conviction record
 Some gang members have even used false identity to get into our nations military
 People tend to react the way they are trained
 Actual number of gang members in military is small compared to total military
population
 Compromising military personnel becomes the cost of doing business in the US
Week 3 Lecture
 Only four incidences, but no modern connection that connects gangs with
terrorists
 Transnational Gangs operate globally – drug trafficking, arms trafficking,
intellectual property, human trafficking, money laundering
 Cartels in Mexico involves kidnapping every 12 minutes and they also steal
natural resources
 Methapethamine is the most popular drug on Western US, ie. California
 Mexicans make 400 pounds over 24 hours of Meth
 Cartels manufacture Meth, not Cocaine
 Mexico grow marijuana, not heroin
 Marijuana – most popular illegal drug
 Nicotine is more addictive than heroin
 American street gangs work with cartel
 Mexico – meth and marijuana
 South America – cocaine
 Golden Triangle/Middle East – Heroin
 California is most active drug smuggling and production area in the US
 Los Angeles is PCP capital of US
 Drugs move out of CA – meth, cocaine, heroin, marijuana
 Meth poses the most significant drug threat to California & Western US
 Cocaine – eastern
Week 3 Readings
 Guns were used in more than 85% of gang related homicides in CA
 Tom Metzger – white supremist – help spread belief in young people
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Violence is leading cause for youth’s death
Influences of gang violence: media, demographic, family
Large gang violence – 14-24 age group
Youth from single parent are more likely to grow up poor, fail in school, and
become single parents themselves
1 in 5 students bring weapon to school – 20%
US ranks #1 in putting people in jail
Violence is a learned behaviour
Seattle School Study
o Prime age to join gang 15, however can be any age as young as 9 to 69
o 60% gang members are in 14-24 (however most are adults)
o Male gang members – 90% of state gang population
o Majority children were active members for one year or less
o Gangs: 3 or more, some type of association, common identifier, and
commit crime
o Majority gang members are male
o Most gangs are without formal organisation
o Gang membership is not static phenomenon, it is constantly changing
o Jumping in is at the end of membership process, and not all gang members
need to get jumped in
o Gang becomes surrogate family or replacement
o All gang members have immediate need for gratification, distorted views
of reality, skewed perspective against society
o For some gang members, joining a gang is like getting into Fortune 500
company
o 50% of victims of gang violence are innocent bystanders