Latin American gangs are working on illegal immigration and drug trafficking networks, which has helped them grow their status in the US soil, promoting violence and drug trafficking.
Fox News Digital spoke with Michael Brown, a senior special agent at the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the global director of anti-drug technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices, about the impact that Latin American gangs have on the US community.
“This incredible drug structure, this drug condition, pushes several tons of drugs into the US, driving US drug trafficking and organisation-based violence,” he said.
Brown said the cartels are not just street-level groups, but rather highly organized criminal enterprises that control drug trafficking and engage in violent lawn wars.
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MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is believed to have thousands of members across the country by federal prosecutors. (Getty Images)
Brown highlighted the role of Mexican cartels like Sinaloa and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generalization (CJNG). The cartel controls the drug trafficking and is responsible for most of the drug-related violence across North America, Brown said.
“In terms of drug trafficking and human trafficking, Sinaloa is probably the throne of the king of this game,” he said. “And CJNG is the second runner-up and is about to become number one.”
He said the Sinaloa and CJNG gangs are responsible for moving 85-90% of all illegal drugs to the US.
“Affiliate organizations located in all major U.S. cities provide drugs to local human trafficking organisations,” he said. “These will become organized crime groups, such as Italian and Albanian groups.”
Mexico serves as a major producer and transport point for drugs, but countries such as Brazil and Colombia play a key role in moving drugs into global markets. Brown emphasized how Brazil acts as a drug hub in Colombia and Peru, which was sent to various destinations such as the US, Europe and Australia.
According to Salvador President Naibe Bukere, President Naibe Bukere in Tekolka, El Salvador, distributed to Reuters on February 24, 2023, gang members wait for 2,000 gang members to be taken to their cells after being moved to the terrorism confinement centre. (Distribution materials via Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Reuters)
The role of the sanctuary city
Sanctuary cities provide an environment that exacerbates gang violence and allows criminal organizations to flourish, Brown said.
“When you go to the sanctuary cities of New York or Chicago, you get a check for a home, a check for food. They're about to get a phone. “So if you're a gang member, you go there and attach yourself to that money train.”
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He shared that the cartel turned its attention to “grassroots recruitment” tactics to draft immigrants.
“In my opinion, it has terrible policies in the sanctuary cities that make it perfectly possible for organizations like Tren de Aragua (TDA) to function as parasitic criminal organizations,” he said. “And among these [migrant] Community, they mostly report crimes because they are illegal, and they do not want the police to come. The risk is not worth it to them. ”
This image shows two gang members caught at the southern border. (US Border Patrol)
He said the African-American and Latino communities are partly driven by financial difficulties and look to the appeal of fast money and fame. Brown tied the appeal of gang culture to the prevalence of popular media such as rap music.
“When I look at drug-based American gang violence, I think we need to see what it is associated with and why it's so popular to become a gang,” he said. “What is your role in these gangster young African American men and Hispanic men? They make fast money and want the glory associated with it,” he said.
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“Unfortunately, there are no other ethnic groups outside of African Americans, Latinos and Latinos who are aiming to make music like this.”
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Latin American Gangs:
- MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) – The gang was born in California but has a huge presence in several Latin American countries, including El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. They are involved in drug trafficking, fear tor and human trafficking. MS-13 is notorious for its brutal violence, including massive murder, amputation and beheading.
- Gangsters on 18th Avenue (Barrio 18) – Another gang that began in the United States and expanded to Central America, particularly in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. The gang is involved in similar criminal activities as the MS-13, and is often involved in violent turf wars with rival gangs.
- Sinaloa Cartel – The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in Latin America. They manage drug trafficking routes and are involved in large international trade in illegal drugs. They are also famous for assassinations and murders.
- Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (cjng) – CJNG, one of Mexico's most powerful and violent cartels, is responsible for numerous killings, including the execution of police officers and rival cartel members.
- Los Zetas – Los Zetas has become one of Mexico's deadliest and most feared cartels. They are notorious for their brutal tactics, such as genocide, beheading, and torture. They are involved in drug trafficking, fear tor and lure.
- Mara 18 Revolucionaria – Like MS-13 and Barrio 18, the group is active in Central America and is known for its violent clashes with rival groups, along with involvement in various criminal enterprises, including human trafficking and drug smuggling.
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