 Sureñostattoo | |
| Founded | 1967; 58 years ago (1967)[1] |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Southern California, United States[2] |
| Years active | 1967–present[3] |
| Territory | 35 U.S. states[4] |
| Ethnicity | Mexican American[3][5] |
| Activities | Drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, extortion, robbery, auto theft, fraud, identity theft, homicide, assault[2][3][6][7] |
| Allies |
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| Rivals | |
| Notable members | |
Sureños ([suˈɾe.ɲos];Spanish forSoutherners), also known asSouthern United Raza,Sur 13 orSureños X3, are groups of loosely affiliatedgangs[39] that paytribute to theMexican Mafia while inU.S. state and federal correctional facilities. ManySureño gangs have rivalries with one another, and the only time this rivalry is set aside is when they enter the prison system.[6][32][40] Thus, fighting is common among differentSureño gangs even though they share a common identity.Sureños have emerged as a national gang in the United States.[7]
Mexican American street gangs originated inLos Angeles in the early 1900s as a result of various factors, including economic conditions and racial prejudice. In 1957, theMexican Mafia (orLa Eme), California's firstprison gang, was established by Luis "Huerro Buff" Flores and otherEast Los Angeles gang members, at theDeuel Vocational Institution. The Mexican Mafia was formed, in part, for protection from other groups in the prison population, and recruited its members from Mexican American street gangs. A rivalry subsequently developed between Mexican American inmates fromSouthern California and those fromNorthern California. The Southern gang members viewed Mexican Americans from rural, agricultural areas in Northern California with contempt and considered them to be unsophisticated and weak, while the Northerners considered those from Southern California to be overlyAmericanized.[2] By 1967,La Eme was attempting to unify all Mexican American gangs in California, and a concerted effort was made to end rivalries between various groups and amalgamate them into the state's largest prison gang. However, the rivalry between Northerners and Southerners was solidified by an incident in which a Mexican Mafia member inSan Quentin State Prison fatally stabbed his cellmate—a Mexican American from Northern California—in a dispute over a pair of shoes. The Northerners then formed theNuestra Familia (NF) prison gang for protection from the Mexican Mafia, the Southern gang.[1]
To distinguish themselves from the agricultural workers from Northern California, Mexican Mafia (La Eme) members began to refer to the gang members who worked for them asSureños, aenglish term meaning "Southerners". Inmates from Northern California who were affiliated with theNuestra Familia became known asNorteños, or "Northerners".[2] AlthoughSureños were established in 1968, the term was not used until the 1970s as a result of the continued conflict between the Mexican Mafia and the Nuestra Familia inCalifornia's prison system.[6] When a Sureño is asked what being aSureño means, members answer: "ASureño is a foot soldier for the Mexican Mafia."[41] As a result of these prison wars, allHispanic California street gangs align themselves with theSureño orNorteño movements with very few exceptions (such as theFresno Bulldogs, and the Maravilla gangs of East Los Angeles).[3] Due to its membership size, the Fresno Bulldogs is the only Hispanic gang in theCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that is able to remain independent.[2]
TheSureño's main stronghold is in southern California. They have a heavy presence in California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Utah. They have a smaller presence in Illinois, Oklahoma, Georgia, Oregon and Washington, and some have spread as far east asNew York.[42]Sureños have been documented in the U.S. military, found in both U.S. and overseas bases.[43] They also can be found in some parts of Mexico.Sureños also maintain relationships with variousdrug trafficking organizations based in Mexico.[6][7][32] They have been confirmed in 35 different states in the U.S.[4] They are with theGulf Cartel.[20]
The statewide north–south dividing line betweenNorteños andSureños has roughly been accepted as the cities ofBakersfield andDelano.[44] Sureños' strongholds in Upstate California are usually inSanta Rosa andModesto due to a high Mexican immigrant population in those cities.Sureños in Los Angeles refer to their members in Central California as"Central Sureños" andSureños refer to their members in northern California as"Upstate Sureños".
Whilesur is the Spanish word for south, among Sureños "SUR" also stands for Southern United Raza.[45]Sureños use the number 13—which represents the letter "M", the thirteenth letter of the alphabet—in order to mark their allegiance to the Mexican Mafia.[4][6][46] CommonSureño gang markings and/or tattoos include (but are not limited to): SUR, XIII, X3, 13, Sur13, Uno Tres, Trece and three dots arranged like those on a game die.[46] Although there are many tattoos used bySureños, there is only one tattoo that proves or validates membership. The X3 tag can also be commonly spotted in graffiti. The wordSureño orSureña must be earned.[6] MostSureños are of Mexican descent, but someSureño gangs allow members from various other ethnic backgrounds to join their ranks, makingSureños multiethnic.[6] They also favor blue or grey sport clothing, such asLos Angeles Dodgers,Los Angeles Rams and sometimesLos Angeles Lakers. Upstate Sureños, however, wearDallas Cowboys,San Jose Sharks andOakland Raiders clothing.[citation needed]
Sureño groups are involved in many aspects of criminal activity including homicide,[3][47] drug trafficking,[3][48] kidnapping, assaults,[49] carjackings, home invasions, and robbery.[2] They are also heavily engaged in human trafficking of adults[6] and children.[50] The primary sources of income forSureño gang members are the retail-level distribution ofcocaine,heroin,marijuana, andmethamphetamine, both within prison systems and in the community, and theextortion of drug dealers.Sureño members may also have direct associations withMexican drug cartels, and broker deals on behalf of theMexican Mafia and their own gangs.[2]
There have been many high-profile criminal cases involvingSureños in a variety of states. Police departments have a difficult time dealing with this gang because of its decentralized hierarchy at the street level. Law enforcement attempts to limit the influence of the Mexican Mafia over the variousSureño street gangs have been met with little success. By the late 1990s, a federal task force was set up in order to investigate the gang's involvement in the illegal drug trade; this resulted in the arrest of several of its members. The authorities confiscated thousands of dollars in drugs and money, as reported by theLos Angeles Times and local news channels. The group has historically quarreled with various rival gangs for placement and competition, which has resulted in many drive-by shootings and deaths. On August 24, 2004, a law enforcement preliminary injunction terminated the active members of the 38th Street gang, out of the streets,[clarification needed] banning them from using firearms, alcohol, graffiti and other dangerous materials in public.[51]
Sureños have a stronghold in San Francisco'sMission District, who feud with fellowSureño factions andNorteños.Sureños have had a history of beefing with otherSureño individuals, whether it be gang in-fighting, or differentSureño cliques fighting each other. For instance, two rivalSureño gangs fighting over territorial grounds of Southwest Community Park in Santa Rosa, California, lead to the shooting death of an 18-year-old man in 2008. The neighborhood South Park is home to a portion of the city'sAngelo Heights Sureños, named after theAngelino Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles in which its original members came from.Sureños also have had territorial fighting inSan Jose andOakland.
In 2009, members of theSureños were charged in the deaths of rivalNorteño gang members Alvaro Garcia-Pena and Intiaz Ahmed, who were killed at Alvarado's Bar & Grill inRichmond, California. One member of theSureños pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Other members from the Sureños gang received other sentences for their involvement in the shooting.[52]
In 2010, 51Sureños were arrested in a California narcotics sting. The investigation identified eightSureño gangs involved in various criminal activities, including the distribution of narcotics. The investigation also resulted in the seizure of more than 19 pounds ofmethamphetamine, a methamphetamine conversion laboratory, 1.5 kilograms ofcocaine, small amounts ofcrack cocaine, 25 pounds ofmarijuana, 35 firearms, and $800,000 in currency and property. The charges against the gang members were conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, street terrorism and firearms violations.[53]
