Texas A Tuff Program

On By Surfman374

South Texas has a variety of gangs, including various regional chapters of the 

Puro Tango Blast like the Vallucos (Rio Grande Valley) and Corpitos (Corpus Christi). Other gangs active in the broader Texas region, which may also have influence in South Texas, include the Texas Syndicate, Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, and the Bandidos MC. 

Tango Blast chapters

  • Vallucos: The chapter representing the Rio Grande Valley region.
  • Corpitos: The chapter that is active in Corpus Christi. 

Other gangs in Texas

The most prominent motorcycle club in South Texas is the Bandidos MC, founded in Houston in 1966. Other motorcycle clubs operate in the region, but the Bandidos are particularly notable due to their large size and international presence. 

  • Bandidos MC: This is a prominent outlaw motorcycle gang (OMG) that originated in Texas and is now one of the largest in the world.
  • Other clubs: While the Bandidos are a major presence, numerous other motorcycle clubs, both national and local, have chapters or members in South Texas. However, the Bandidos are the most frequently cited club in the region, particularly in the context of outlaw motorcycle clubs. 

Major Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), commonly known as 

cartels, dominate illicit drug trafficking and organized crime in Texas. These groups do not operate within Texas in the same way they do in Mexico, but rather exert influence by collaborating with U.S. gangs and establishing trafficking networks. 

Major Cartels and Affiliated Gangs

Several powerful Mexican DTOs are active in different regions of Texas, exploiting established smuggling routes. 

  • Gulf Cartel: Historically one of the oldest and a significant presence in South and North Texas, controlling lucrative smuggling routes through border cities like Matamoros/Brownsville and Reynosa/McAllen.
  • Sinaloa Cartel (CGO): A powerful, international organization with operations throughout the Southwest, including Texas.
  • Juárez Cartel (VCF) / La Línea: Active in the El Paso area (Juarez/El Paso crossing) and other regions of the state.
  • Los Zetas: A splinter group originally formed as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel, known for extreme violence. 

These Mexican cartels often partner with U.S.-based street and prison gangs to manage local distribution, transportation, and enforcement activities: 

  • Texas Syndicate
  • Mexikanemi
  • Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (HPL)
  • Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)
  • Barrio Aztecas 

Activities and Impact in Texas

Cartels engage in a wide range of criminal activities that impact Texas communities: 

  • Drug Trafficking: Dominant in the trafficking of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl across the border.
  • Human Smuggling: Involvement in human trafficking rings, often associated with specific cartels.
  • Violence: Responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime in communities where they operate, often related to territorial disputes or enforcement.
  • Recruitment: Increasingly targeting minors in Texas, luring them into smuggling operations with promises of quick cash.
  • Other Crimes: Involvement in money laundering, extortion, kidnapping, and the smuggling of stolen crude oil. 

Law Enforcement Response

Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and Texas DPS, are engaged in significant efforts to combat cartel activity. This includes the establishment of new regional task forces, such as the Homeland Security Task Force-South Texas, to disrupt and dismantle these criminal networks. Texas has also launched initiatives like Operation Lone Star to increase border security and disrupt cartel operations. 

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