It revealed a world where drugs and weapons are freely available to inmates, where murderous prison gangs control inmate behavior far more than prison guards do, and where the guardians of law and order have just as much trouble distinguishing right from wrong as do the inmates they are watching. But they werent enough: A guard like Luis Sandoval would be assigned to a hallway filled with hundreds of inmates. TDCJ intelligence files indicate that by the close of the eighties, the TS, the Mexican Mafia, and other prison gangs had developed active memberships in every major Texas city, as well as in several small towns. Never let a member down; 7. The investigators didnt tell me much, nor was I particularly inquisitive, he said. Texas Department of Public Safety . They often victimized members of other smaller gangs and individuals, alienating many Mexican national and Mexican-American inmates. Other gangs also sprang up: the Hermanos de Pistoleros, the Self-Defense Family, the Texas Mafia, the Nuestra Carnales. The only witnesses who said that Sandoval had anything to do with the murder of inmate Joe Arredondo were two convicted felons: Carlos Rosas, a Texas Syndicate member who confessed to actually stabbing Arredondo but was offered a favorable deal in exchange for his testimony; and Ruben Ortiz, a convicted murderer and Texas Syndicate sex slave who was paroled after he agreed to testify. Sandoval was one of the officers I wanted to be like, said one correctional officer whom Sandoval helped train. When asked on the witness stand if the hallway was ever undermanned, the reply of Nolan McCoolanother officer working the B-wing that afternoonwas emphatic: Constantly.. The field for their activities, though fertile, was finite, thus making turf wars inevitable. White Knights (Texas) White Prison Gangs. Back in February, Texas Syndicate member Ernesto Medrano and some 20 of his fellow gang members were in a Dallas federal courtroom receiving multi-year prison sentences for importing hundreds of . But local law enforcement experts have documented that the gang was founded in 1986 by gangsters Benito "Benny" Acosta, Alberto "Indio" Estrada, Benjamin "T-Top" Olivarez, Manuel "Tolon" Cardoza, Manuel "El Grande" Fernandez, Ral "Rabillo" Fierro, and Jos "Gitano" Ledesma. Not one of them pinned the murder of Joe Arredondo on Sandoval. The Texas Syndicate also operates in state and federal prisons across the United States, with significant activity being reported at FCI Oakdale in Louisiana and San Quentin State Prison in California, as well as some representation in the Florida Department of Corrections. It took the jury 33 minutes to decide that Sandoval was not guilty. It took more than three years for the Arredondo murder case to come to trial, during which time a number of things happened to Sandoval. But the evidence gathered by Justice clearly added up to a violation of the Eight Amendments protection from cruel and unusual punishment. We know who youre tied to. So wed just lay back, let him cool down. On the unit level, the Texas Syndicate is controlled by a chairman who over sees the vice chairman, captain, lieutenant, ser geant of arms, and soldiers. The release in Mexico of one of the men responsible for the murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena has renewed tension between the U.S. and Mexico over the case. Arredondo was a Texas Syndicate member. Don't quit your day job, ChatGPT! He had lied to his own investigator, just as inmates and Internal Affairs had lied to the jurors. Guards could still smell burning marijuana and still see inmates giggling to themselves. [1] The Texas Syndicate has approximately 1,300 members, the majority of whom are Mexican American males aged between 20 and 40. Sandoval buckled. Porky Viscaino-Amaro, 41, is a Mexican citizen. This booklet contains historical synopses of all STGs recognized by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), as well as recognized tattoos and other related indicators most often used by STGs and various street gang members. Keep all gang information within the group. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Throughout that specific decade, the state of California saw the birth of several criminal organizations. 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. Sandoval described Ellis I warden Jerry Peterson as a good man but a figurehead. Formed in the California prison system in the 1970s by incarcerated Tejanos, the Texas Syndicate sought protection against Californios. The war ended with a treaty in 1997. Bono Lady Gaga Ke$ha Aldous Huxley Nicki Minaj Michael Jackson Miley Cyrus Eminem No.5 Masonic Handshakes One juror phoned Sandovals brother that afternoon and told him that in her view the case against Sandoval was racially motivated. McALLEN, Texas (WOAI/KABB) They're one of the most notorious gangs in Texas - the Texas Syndicate and according to the DEA, they are a criminal organization that works with the Mexican cartels. Richard Valdemar retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department after spending most of his 33 years on the job combating gangs. We are seeking a detail-oriented sign installer to transport and install a variety of signs. The Texas Syndicate (Spanish:Syndicato Tejano) is a mostly-Mexican criminal group founded in Folsom State Prison, California, in the 1970s. Prisons, crammed with thrill-seekers and outright junkies, provide the ultimate captive consumers. Tattoos The TM tattoo consists of the letters "TM" with one or all of the bottom tips of the letters shaped like devil's tails and/or arrowheads. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force, including DPS Special Agents, located and arrested GONZALEZ at a local motel in Lubbock.GONZALEZ is a violent offender with a history of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault . Apple Jack protected his mule, however, and though many knew of the officers extracurriculars, the hammer never fell on him. Did you know that 40% of all inmate escapes occur during transport? Sandoval marveled at the river of red the inmate had left behind. When Arredondo got killed, Sandoval was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Officials knew this meant that every day from three-thirty until after chow time, activities in the narrow corridor went unmonitored. Everybody knew about this scum. Yet Apple Jack went unpunished: He tithed a share of his profits to the Texas Syndicate and gave the supervisors something to crow about by setting up a guard now and then. The inmate staggered forward, blood gushing from his head and neck. 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). The decision was reached: Arredondo would be taken down. Some veteran gang members claim that the Barrio Azteca gang can trace its roots in El Paso back to the original 1940s El Paso Tip gang (ept). In return, the snitch had an oversized cell to himself, plus a hall pass that gave him the run of the unit. 2018) The Fifth Circuit affirmed defendants' convictions and sentences arising from their participation in racketeering activities that centrally involve violence, murder, and the distribution of drugs for the Texas Syndicate gang in Uvalde, Texas. (Today, Sandoval says that statement was coerced.) A host of documents relating to the trial, as well as interviews with numerous sources involved in the case, have provided chilling details of how Texas prisons really work today. The roles in the Arredondo hit were decided in either the chow hall or the chapel, where numbers were drawn from a cup. While the number of effective affiliates within the federal prison system continued to grow, the Texas Syndicate began expanding their operations to the outside world. If he refused to do the favor, they could always snitch on him for lighting an inmates cigarettethough Sandoval didnt think either was that type of inmate. Credit Solution Experts Incorporated offers quality business credit building services, which includes an easy step-by-step system designed for helping clients build their business credit effortlessly. It is seemingly a simple, humble favor asked of men in gray by men in white. Dale Schaper dutifully typed up his report, and sent it through the proper channels. Although numerically and financially inferior and facing multiple powerful advisories, the Barrio Azteca gang managed to murder many significant members of their enemies in several Texas prison facilities. texas syndicate hand signs. Each society sustains the other, but the economic cycle depends on a vital link, for the supply will not meet the demand unless the product reaches the consumer. Hispanics who were not TS members formed their own gang, the Mexican Mafia, which today outnumbers the TS two to one but is not considered as well organized by prison officials. Sandoval got up, ran into the hallway, and yelled fight twice. Sandoval, he was a good kid, said the inmate of the guard who had once done him favors. At the same time, rules in prison became stricter. Sandoval put his hand against the wound, looked up, and saw Crippin and McCool standing there, gaping. Texas prisons were mostly gang-free until bloody battles broke out in 1984-85 between the Mexican Mafia and Texas Syndicate as well as the Aryan Brotherhood and Mandingo Warriors. The first major TDCJ gang, a Hispanic group known as the Texans, consisted of former residents who were doing time in California penal institutions in the mid-seventies. The violent wars between these and other power groups within the custody facilities made these two prison gangs the big bullies on the block. Yet a former prison drug-runner confirmed the obviousthat without the help of TDCJ employees, the flow of drugs into state prisons would dry up. Still, gang members will frequently get tattoos to show their allegiance to their clique. A marginal amount of contraband and drug trafficking has also been registered. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping. According to testimony, the man who drew the magic card, number one, was TS sergeant Carlos Rosas, a 31-year-old Dallas resident who was serving thirty years for aggravated robbery. google hiring committee rejection rate. When asked about it, Sandoval testified that the report merely contained Schapers accusations, which Sandoval denied then and would deny now, under oath. That statistic does not come close to reflecting the actual number of TDCJ employees suspected of involvement in corrupt activities. [1] Gang members smuggle multikilogram-quantities of powdered cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, and multiton-quantities of marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. for distribution inside and outside prison. Some offenders join an STG in an effort to exert influence and take advantage of other offenders. It was their fault, not his, but someone would have to take the fall. To make identification difficult for prison officials, most gang members no longer wear tattoos. And the rise of gang activity as evidenced by the rash of shootings we've seen in major metropolitan areas like Chicago and elsewhere is increasingly threatening the very safety and security of both law enforcement officers and the communities we serve, nationwide. They ally with the Texas Mafia; Dirty White Boys, and Border Brothers. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. The Texas Syndicate, more than La Eme or Nuestra Familia, has been more associated or allied with Mexican immigrant prisoners, such as the "Border . After the trial, Sandovals attorney, Steve Fischer, contacted TDCJ officials and asked them to let bygones be bygones. Youll drain all the blood to his head. Three other officers arrived on the scene. He was pronounced dead at seven that evening, a victim of twenty stab wounds. Theyd say, Dont mess with him., The new boot thereby became a feared boss among bosses. I want to see the mountains, he said. I could watch him deal with inmates and think, This guy knows something I dont know., One evening, while gazing out from his apartment balcony, Sandoval saw a car drive slowly by. Ten Ellis I guards who worked with Sandoval testified that they had no knowledge that Sandoval was involved in drug transactions with prison gangs. 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. And theres always somebody, the ex-drug runner told me, wholl do something for you.. SMU's Pony Ears is just one of many Texas college football hand signs. In your house you can walk around in the dark and not bang your shins because you know every square inch, said a former Ellis I officer. And as in any society, some lead while others are led. Recalling the letter deliveries and phone messages, Sandoval might have wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply. Most notably, the Los Zetas cartel has been known to count on members of the Texas Syndicate to plan and carry out murders, armed assaults and other violent wet-work.
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Babolat Ambassador Program, Stephen Sandoval Homicide, Articles T