Basic Facts About 5 Major Northern Virginia Gangs
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18th Street: Created in the late 1960s in Los Angeles, California. Many gang experts consider 18th Street to be the most violent and aggressive gang in the United States. Currently the fastest growing gang in the U.S., 18th Street is well established and is involved in all areas of criminal activity. They have a close relationship with Mexican and Colombian drug cartels and are often marked by tattoos either denoting 666 (which equals 18 when added together) or XVIII (Roman numerals for 18). |
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Bloods: Formed from the Piru gang in 1972 to protect Piru members from the Crips. The Bloods are now well known for their violent rivalry with the Crips. While their membership is smaller than the Crips, the Bloods are known for being more dangerous and violent. The Bloods are known for their use of assault-type weapons and are usually identified with the color red -- in the form of red beads on the East Coast. |
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Crips: A Street gang that originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s. Originally, most Crips activity took place on or around school campuses where they gained a reputation for violence and extortion. A predominently black gang, the Crips are found in nearly every city in the U.S. today and are heavily involved in urban warfare, drug sales, violent take-over robberies and warehouse burglaries. The Crips usually identify with the color blue and often wear a blue rag or handkerchief. |
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Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13): MS-13 began as a result of people fleeing civil war in El Salvador. When they arrived in California, the Hispanics were victim to prejudice and the gang formed to combat those who were taking advantage of them. Today, the gang is well known for its violence and sophistication. It attracks members as young as 12, usually from Central or South America, and operates throughout Central and North America. MS-13 enforces extensive hierarcy as each local gang is divided into cliques, which is further divided into smaller groups. The group has access to sophisticated military weapons through ties in Central America and is involved in all aspects of criminal activity including murder, weapons trafficking and drug sales. The group is often marked with tattoos that say "13", "M" or "MS". |
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Asian Gangs: Originally criminals who immigrated and formed groups to prey on other Asians living in America. Most Asian gangs are involved in extortion, drug trafficking, prostitution and gambling, and prey on Asian immigrants, Asian-Americans and Asian businesses. Asian gangs are both violent and sophisticated and often travel from city to city committing crimes. These gangs often trend towards scarring or multilating their bodies to mark themselves. They do this for 2 reasons: first, it is harder for police to identify them and second such marks are a sign of atonement in Asia. |
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