Another Prince George arson fire possibly linked to gang activity

BCLocalNews.com - Another Prince George arson fire possibly linked to gang activity: "Police are investigating another suspected arson in the city … the third in less than a month.
And, like the previous two, the third fire is likely linked to organized crime.
Police were called out of a residence in the 2600-block of Quince Street at about 9:30 a.m. Friday for an attempted arson.
Officers attended and confirmed that a window was smashed and an attempt was made to start a fire. Members of the Prince George RCMP are continuing to investigate this crime, including the possibility that this is linked to organized street gang activity.
There is no evidence that anyone was hurt in this incident."

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B.C. bloodshed garners international attention

B.C. bloodshed garners international attention: "Street gangs have sparked a wave of violence that has left dozens of people dead.
Last year, a gang war heated up and resulted in many shootings. In the first six months of 2009 alone 24 people were killed and dozens more were wounded.
The bloodshed garnered international attention. “Once upon a very recent time, Vancouver had a clean, safe image,” said an article in the British newspaper, the Independent. “As it prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, what it's got now is not cuddly, eco-friendly publicity, but blood-spattered streets littered with shell casings and corpses.”
Police attributed the bloodshed to a handful of gangs fighting over a dwindling supply of cocaine from Mexico -- The Mexican government had initiated a crackdown on the cartels that sent cocaine to the U.S. and Canada – and local marijuana, which the gangs use to acquire the cocaine.
The Independent Soldiers and the United Nations gangs fought for control of the drugs with a handful of gangs, including the Red Scorpions, the Buttar Gang, the Sanghera"

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Kosovo's prime minister 'key player in mafia-like gang' - Telegraph

Kosovo's prime minister 'key player in mafia-like gang' - Telegraph: "The report states that Mr Thaci exerted 'violent control' over the heroin trade. Dick Marty, the European Union investigator, will present the report to European diplomats from all member states in Paris on Thursday.
Kosovo's government on Tuesday described the report as 'baseless' and 'defamatory'.
'The government of Kosovo and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci will undertake all the necessary steps and actions to dismiss the slanders of Dick Marty, including legal and political means,' the government said in a statement.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings began in a Pristina district court on Tuesday over an alleged organ trafficking gang discovered by police. An EU prosecutor told the court a gang of Kosovan organ traffickers operated an elaborate international network that traded in the organs of people living in extreme poverty.
The men, including a former senior Kosovan Health Ministry official, promised poor people from Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey up to €14,500 (£12,300) for their organs.
Those who received the organs – including patients from Canada, Germany, Poland and Israel – paid between €80,000 and €100,000 for them, Ratel said. The victims, however, were never paid, EU prosecutor Jonathan Ratel told the court.
The seven men have pleaded not guilty to charges ranging from trafficking in persons to unlawful practices of medicine and abuse of power. Two other suspects, a Turkish and an Israeli national, remain at large."

Mexican Army Captures High-Level Sinaloa Cartel Member | United States Border Narcotics Intelligence

Mexican Army Captures High-Level Sinaloa Cartel Member United States Border Narcotics Intelligence: "Enrique Lopez Acosta was arrested Sunday in Ciudad Delicias after a shootout that left his brother, Ever Horacio Lopez Acosta, dead, the secretariat said.
The drug trafficker’s arrest was made possible by “intelligence activities,” the Defense Secretariat said.
Lopez Acosta is accused of being behind the March 15 massacre of seven people in Creel, a town in Chihuahua, and had several arrest warrants outstanding.
The suspect was turned over to federal prosecutors, the secretariat said."

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Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, known as 'El Farmero,' was the leader of the Aztecas gangJuarez gang leader admits killings - CNN

Juarez gang leader admits killings - CNN: "alleged gang member who police say was behind 80 percent of the killings in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, over the past 16 months was arrested over the weekend, officials said.
Police believe that Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, known as 'El Farmero,' was the leader of the Aztecas gang, a group closely linked with the Juarez cartel and its enforcement arm, La Linea.
Gallegos confessed to authorities that he ordered the killings of three people linked to the U.S. consulate in Juarez in March, as well as the attack on a party of young people that killed 14, federal police said."

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Tensions brewing in local gangs, police say - CTV News

CTV British Columbia - Tensions brewing in local gangs, police say - CTV News: "Facing dozens of firearms charges collectively are Derek Stephen, Christopher Reddy, Pedram Shirazi, Christopher Iser, Robert Achadinha and Glen Sheck. All the men are in their 20s.
Investigators added that because of the suppression efforts by the anti-gang squad, at least five high-profile members of the gang world have either left the country or the province. As work continues, they say more arrests are expected.
Gang tensions last soared just under two years ago when gangs warring over the drug trade made increasingly public attacks on each other.
The wave of killings on Vancouver streets and in surrounding cities left two dozen people dead in the first six months of 2009."

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Kings Cross turf war exposed

Kings Cross turf war exposed: "EVERY weekend, young revellers looking for a good time spill out of clubs and fill the streets of Kings Cross into the early hours.
Lured by the neon lights and pumping music, the crowds are as large as the morning peak of city office workers in Martin Place.
While the seediness of the Cross is part of its appeal, many revellers are oblivious to the violent turf war raging beneath the gloss and glamour of its fashionable drinking holes.
Advertisement: Story continues below The Sun-Herald learnt of the extent of bikie-related violence in the Cross when a pile of documents was mailed to the wrong address in October.
The documents, contained on paper and compact disc, form a road map of police intelligence, some extremely sensitive, of the battle to regain control of the streets of the Cross from rival organised crime gangs and outlaw bikie groups
A risk report from Kings Cross Police Local Area Command crime intelligence unit to the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing details 41 alleged violent bikie-related incidents at 16 hotels, nightclubs and bars between November 2006 and August last year, said to have been committed by the Hells Angels, Comanchero, Nomads, Rebels, Bandidos, Gypsy Jokers and Notorious gangs."

Honduras: Latin America's Murder Capital | War Is A Crime .org

Honduras: Latin America's Murder Capital | War Is A Crime .org: "world's murder capital. The UN Development Program (UNDP) reported 4,473 2008 murders (61.3 per 100,000) in a country with about 7.3 million people, the equivalent of over 190,000 annual US killings, over 10 times the actual rate.
For 2009, anthropologist Adrienne Pine estimated a 9% increase, saying in June 2010:
'As someone who has been closely following the human rights and political stability situation in Honduras for over a dozen years; who has written a book and numerous articles on the topic; who has served as an expert witness in over a dozen asylum cases; and who has been living and conducting research in Honduras during the past month, I can say with absolute confidence that I have never seen worse security conditions in this country.'
'And while in the previous decade, the victims of extrajudicial assassinations and other forms of state violence were disproportionately young men identified (often incorrectly) as gang members, today a large percentage of the victims fall into two primary categories: people who are involved in or are openly critical of drug trafficking, and individuals who are seen as being critical of the June 28, 2009 coup.'
'The latter category has included 9 journalists killed in targeted assassinations, and the disappearance, torture, and murder of numerous local and national leaders of the non-violent resistance movements and their daughters, sons, brothers and sisters....all since the beginning' of the current Pepe Lobo regime, controlled by two forces: the military, and a small group of powerful business elites, united in their opposition against anyone opposing the coup."

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Nine Trey Headbustas 2 plead guilty to roles in NJ gang killing - BostonHerald.com

2 plead guilty to roles in NJ gang killing - BostonHerald.com: "Two New Jersey men have pleaded guilty to racketeering for their roles in a gang-related murder in New Brunswick.
The state Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday that 38-year-old Syree Hakins of West Orange and 34-year-old Tyrane Mathis of Newark entered their pleas Wednesday in state Superior Court.
Both are members of the Nine Trey Headbustas set of the Bloods street gang.
Hakins admitted that he ordered the murder of fellow gang member Devin Thompson. The 19-year-old Thompson was shot on a New Brunswick street"

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Latin Kings and MS-13 Gang war heats up in Trenton | NJ.com

Gang war heats up in Trenton | NJ.com: "Police in New Jersey's capital say they're trying to quell a brewing feud between two rival gangs.
Trenton police say officers observed problems between two rival gangs, the Latin Kings and MS-13.
Reputed MS-13 member Robert Rivera was arrested and charged on Thursday with firing shots at a woman's car.
Police said he's also a suspect in the firebombing of another car on Tuesday.
Officers are they're trying to figure out if the shooting of a third vehicle on Tuesday is related."

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MS-13 Street Gang Leader Sentenced to 35 Years’ Imprisonment for Murder

MS-13 Street Gang Leader Sentenced to 35 Years’ Imprisonment for Murder: "MS-13 Street Gang Leader Sentenced to 35 Years’ Imprisonment for Murder
Earlier today, Wilver R. Lopez, also known as “Conde,” a leader in the La Mara Salvatrucha (“MS-13”) street gang on Long Island, was sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment for the September 17, 2004, murder of 24-year-old fellow MS-13 member Genaro Venegas in Bethpage, New York. The sentence was imposed pursuant to Lopez’s August 10, 2010 guilty plea. The proceeding was held before Senior United States District Judge Leonard D. Wexler at the United States Courthouse in Central Islip, New York.
According to Lopez’s plea allocution and documents previously filed in the case, after learning that Venegas had provided state law enforcement authorities with information relating to an April 2004, murder carried out by an MS-13 member in Suffolk County, Lopez and three other Long Island MS-13 members lured Venegas to a wooded area where they repeatedly shot and stabbed him. At the time of the Venegas murder, Lopez was the leader of the MS-13’s Long Island Leeward Clique. Lopez’s co-conspirators in the Venegas homicide have all pleaded guilty to murder charges and are awaiting sentencing.
“Eliminating gang violence in our communities is one of our highest priorities, and we will continue to utilize all necessary resources in this effort,” stated United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch. Ms. Lynch praised the work of the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force, which investigated the case."

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Justin Walker, a murderer convicted of killing a sheriff and known gang member of Aryan brotherhood

Street Gang Life The New Authority in Gang Activity: "Justin Walker, a murderer convicted of killing a sheriff and known gang member of Aryan brotherhood, has been hitting up his Facebook profile with pictures of him living the good life behind bars– sporting marijuana joints, alcohol, and weapons. There were also photos posted of his daughter posing with various guns. He has been posting pictures since November. Oklahoma residents are concerned– as are prison guards, since having a cell phone in prison is a felony. Some of those polled seemed to also express a bit of jealousy at the fact that Walker’s photos depict such a pleasant life in prison, “just chillin’.”"

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Police net drugs, few arrests in Rio slum raids

Police net drugs, few arrests in Rio slum raids: "Brazilian police showed off piles of drugs and weapons seized during an aggressive takeover of two of this city's most dangerous slums, even as the search continued Tuesday in homes and even sewers for their real target: the drug gang leaders themselves.
Police conceded that many of the up to 600 drug gang members believed to have been hiding in Vila Cruzeiro and the neighboring Alemao complex of slums may have escaped. The hunt for those that got away extended Tuesday into Rio's maze of storm sewers.
The tally for a week of gang attacks and police raids included 124 arrested, 148 detained and 51 dead, authorities said in a statement released Tuesday."

Brazil Rio slum military: Brazil troops to stay in Rio slum after backing anti-gang assault - latimes.com

Brazil Rio slum military: Brazil troops to stay in Rio slum after backing anti-gang assault - latimes.com: "Reporting from Rio de Janeiro and Bogota, Colombia — After a two-pronged, weeklong assault on entrenched drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro slums, Brazilian army troops will remain in the city's worst shantytown for at least six months to maintain order, the government announced Tuesday.

In a military-style invasion Sunday, 800 troops supported 1,800 riot police using armored cars and helicopters in a two-hour operation to pacify the Complexo do Alemao slum, a sanctuary for many of the city's hardened traffickers. The operation left 50 dead, including three police officers. Authorities made 123 arrests. Significant caches of drugs and weapons were seized.

The Defense Ministry's decision to keep the troops stationed in the slum came despite complaints from civic activists that the soldiers weren't fit for a policing role and might only anger residents. Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Sergio Cabral, who made the request, argued that many of the troops have performed peacekeeping duty in Haiti."

Outlaws Gang Trial: jury selection begins in Outlaw gang trial in Richmond - wtvr

Outlaws Gang Trial: jury selection begins in Outlaw gang trial in Richmond - wtvr: "Attorneys have begun the process of choosing jurors in the federal trial of Outlaws motorcycle gang members. Outlaws president Jack Rosga of Milwaukee and four others will face racketeering charges before U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Richmond after a jury of twelve and two alternates are chosen from a 105-person pool.

In June, 27 members of the Outlaws and another motorcycle gang, the Pagans were indicted and a slight majority chose to plead guilty. Last month, jurors could not reach a verdict on Rosga while they acquitted a pair of co-defendants and convicting another."

4 arrested in Yuma gang-related assault

4 arrested in Yuma gang-related assault: "Yuma police say two men and two teenagers are in custody in connection with a gang-related assault.
Police say a teenage male from a rival gang was beaten, stabbed and robbed of his backpack on Tuesday afternoon.
The unidentified victim was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries.
Police say 18-year-old Richard Martinez and 18-year-old Michael Anthony Ruiz were jailed on suspicion of aggravated assault, armed robbery, participating in a criminal street gang and making gang threats. Their bonds were set Wednesday at $400,000 apiece."

Paris Patton, 23, Notorious Mpls. gang member pleads guilty to drive-by shooting | StarTribune.com

60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Minneapolis and St. Paul, 2nd: Including Cambridge, St. Michael, and Northfield (60 Hikes - Menasha Ridge)Notorious Mpls. gang member pleads guilty to drive-by shooting | StarTribune.com: "One of north Minneapolis' most notorious gang members pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree assault in a drive-by shooting in February that left one victim paralyzed from the neck down.
Paris Patton, 23, pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree assault and is expected to get more than 12 years in prison. He had been charged with attempted murder for allegedly firing a gun into a car carrying a group of people on Feb. 7. Patton, a member of the 19 Dipset gang, entered the plea before Hennepin County District Judge Robert Small.
Minneapolis Police Inspector Mike Martin, who leads the city's North Side precinct, said Patton is 'one of our most problematic, high-profile gang members. ... He's the type of person that always seems to be around murders.'"

Kidnap gang jailed | International | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

Euro Weekly News | Kidnap gang jailed | International | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "final member of a violent kidnap gang who lured their victims with the promise of work before imprisoning them and demanding ransom payments was today sentenced for his role in a string of kidnap and blackmail offences. Min Yang pleaded guilty on 26 November and was today sentenced to eight years in prison, bring the total sentencing for the gang to 52 years and two months. The five-strong gang - all of whom are Chinese nationals - seized six of their compatriots in London and Luton, Bedfordshire, between July 2007 and March 2009, subjecting them to terrifying ordeals in which they were tied up and beaten.
In each instance the captors demanded money, often tens of thousands of pounds, in order to secure the hostage's release, and petrified relatives in China were sometimes contacted and ordered to pay up or see their loved one killed.
The gang, all originally from Fujian province in south-east China, were eventually caught when Metropolitan Police officers located two of their strongholds.
Following their arrests, between March and December 2009, Guo Ping Chen, Guo Chen, Bing Cheng and Guo Hai Chen pleaded guilty and were sentenced on 23 June 2010 at the Old Bailey."

Elite cops track Boston’s most wanted fugitives - BostonHerald.com

Elite cops track Boston’s most wanted fugitives - BostonHerald.com: "These Hub cops have tracked down and slapped cuffs on the city’s most notorious fugitives, including the Craigslist Killer and Edward Corliss, the man accused of killing Jamaica Plain clerk Surendra Dangol. Their latest collars? The two men charged in the Mattapan massacre.
“I would like criminals to know if you commit a crime, the police are going to be looking for you,” said Sgt. Detective Brian Albert. “It doesn’t matter if you go out of the city, out of the state or out of the country. You’re better off turning yourself in to face the music.”
Albert commands the Fugitive Apprehension Team, a 12-member joint squad of Boston cops and U.S. Marshals that has been to at least 14 states, as well as Trinidad and Canada, in pursuit of wanted men and women, using some of the most advanced technology available to capture suspects on the run for murder, rapes and shootings in Boston. The team was formed in 2007, handpicked by Albert largely from BPD’s gang unit."

suspicious blaze at the Twisted Soul Tattoo Shop on 7th Avenue

Gang warfare has landed a disabled woman in hospital with severe burns after her home was apparently set on fire, according to Prince George RCMP, who are linking the blaze to a suspicious fire at a tattoo shop one day earlier.

A 60-year-old woman who is confined to a wheelchair had to be rescued when firefighters discovered her home fully engulfed in flames shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

She is now in critical condition with severe burns at a Vancouver Hospital.

Mounties in the northern city say the injured woman is related to a known gang member, who is currently in jail. The prisoner was formerly a tenant at the burnt home, located in the 4000-block of Foster Road.

Just a day earlier, firefighters were called to a suspicious blaze at the Twisted Soul Tattoo Shop on 7th Avenue -- an establishment that just happens to be operated by the same incarcerated gang member.

"We believe the suspicious fire at the Twisted Soul Tattoo Shop and this fire are somehow connected. This is an unsettling example of how innocent people are affected by organized crime as the violence they inflict on each other also affects the entire community," RCMP Const. Lesley Smith said in a release.

"It is not uncommon for a rival gang to inflict harm on their opponent by targeting a friend or family member."

Investigators are calling both fires suspicious.

Police haven't released the targeted man's gang affiliation, but say three gangs have taken hold in the city, including the Game Tight Soldiers, the Independent Soldiers and the Renegades, a motorcycle gang associated with the Hells Angels.

A fourth gang is believed to be trying to infiltrate the scene.

Prince George has seen an increase in gang activity and violence in recent years. Last month, it was rated as the most dangerous city in the county by Maclean's magazine, and RCMP blamed gang violence for the ranking.

Experts believe that a crackdown on the Hells Angels have left a vacuum in the local drug trade, and the remaining gangs are battling to fill the void.

Jesús Silverio Cavazos Ceballos, who served as governor of the tiny state of Colima until November 2009, was gunned down by three men

Organised crime in Mexico: Yet another victim | The Economist: "Jesús Silverio Cavazos Ceballos, who served as governor of the tiny state of Colima until November 2009, was gunned down by three men outside his home yesterday morning. So far the killers, who arrived in a Jeep that had been reported stolen in the state of Querétaro, have not been found, nor a motive established."

Teen raped by gang of knife-wielding women - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Teen raped by gang of knife-wielding women - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Police in a remote part of Papua New Guinea are warning men to be on the lookout after a group of knife-wielding women allegedly raped a teenage boy.
The 17-year-old victim had just left his high school in Mendi in the Southern Highlands last Friday when he was confronted by a group of women armed with knives.
The National newspaper reports there were at least 10 assailants and they forced the teenager to lie down and took turns to rape him.
Four women sexually assaulted the youth before passersby disturbed them."

Los Aztecas drug gang Arrests over American's death in Mexico

Arrests over American's death in Mexico: "Two brothers who are members of the Los Aztecas drug gang have been arrested here over the killing of a US consulate official in March, police say.
Reynaldo Diaz and Jose Guadalupe Diaz had been leaders of a local cell of the Aztecas, officials said on Friday.
The cartel in Ciudad Juarez was blamed for the almost simultaneous assaults in March in which Lesley Enriquez and her husband, both Americans, were killed, as was a Mexican man who was married to another consulate staffer.
Advertisement: Story continues below Four other suspects have been arrested in the case, including one who was extradited to the US in September.
Ciudad Juarez is considered the most violent city in Mexico, due to the ongoing power struggles between rival cartels seeking drug smuggling routes into the United States."

11 members of the drug cartel los Zetas are dead

Authorities are reporting that 11 members of the drug cartel los Zetas are dead and two more are behind bars following an intense battle on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake.

Mexico's Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) reported that the gun battle took place on the Mexican side of Falcon Dam in Nueva Ciudad Guerrero Wednesday afternoon.

SEDENA officials reported that soldiers were patrolling the area around 4 p.m. Wednesday when they investigated a tip about armed men downtown off Boulevard Miguel Hidalgo.

Soldiers arrived to the building when then came under fire.

Refugees flee gangs in Mexican town, but still live in fear | World | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Refugees flee gangs in Mexican town, but still live in fear | World | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "The Zetas began attacking Mier just hours after the killing by Mexican marines last Friday of Gulf Cartel boss Antonio Ezequiel Cardenas-Guillen, known everywhere as Tony Tormenta, or Tony Storm. Officials on both sides of the border have warned that Tony Tormenta's demise is all but certain to unleash havoc as rivals fight to replace him."

Drug gang leaders held following Garda 'super raid' - The Irish Times - Tue, Nov 09, 2010

Drug gang leaders held following Garda 'super raid' - The Irish Times - Tue, Nov 09, 2010: ", the gang leader, Christy Griffin (41), originally from Canon Lillis Avenue, Dublin, was accused of raping a young woman repeatedly from the time she was a child. Griffin has since been convicted of rape and is serving a life sentence.
Many of his associates stood by him while others believed Griffin’s accuser and formed a faction opposed to Griffin. A volatile and dangerous gangland feud ensued involving not only five murders, but numerous non-fatal shootings and pipe bomb and grenade attacks.
The Garda raids yesterday targeted the gang feuding with Griffin’s grouping.
“Operation Chisel”, which has been under way for 10 months, is centred on gathering information with a view to securing prosecutions under new anti-gangland legislation introduced last year. These laws made it an offence to lead or participate in a crime gang.
As well as the Dublin raids, searches took place in the other four counties because the gang has members living there or is supplying drugs to smaller gangs in those areas.
According to Garda sources, the target gang has forged close links with arguably the two biggest crime gangs in Ireland: the McCarthy-Dundon gang in Limerick; and the gang in Finglas, Dublin, once led by murdered criminal Eamon Dunne.
Yesterday’s operation was co-ordinated from Pearse Street Garda station by Chief Supt Pat Leahy, under Assistant Commissioner Mick Feehan, who is in charge of policing in Dublin, and Deputy Commissioner Martin Callinan, who is in charge of all operations across the force."

Halloween slaying of boy, 5, highlights changes in South Los Angeles gang crime

The Canadian Press: Halloween slaying of boy, 5, highlights changes in South Los Angeles gang crime: "Arms flexed in a muscleman pose, Aaron Shannon Jr. was getting ready for a Halloween party while his grandfather snapped photos of him in a Spiderman costume.
Suddenly, the click of the camera lens was replaced by the pop, pop of gunfire and the 5-year-old boy was shot in the head and killed.
The Oct. 31 attack — blamed on misdirected gunfire from suspected Crips gang members raiding Bloods turf — harkened back to the carnage of the 1980s and early '90s when brazen young men patrolled the streets of the area once called South Central and gave little thought to living or dying.
Then, Aaron's death likely would have flared the Crips-Blood rivalry even further and been followed by a retaliation shooting, then another and so on.
'In the old days, this would have been a massive bloodbath,' said Guillermo Cespedes, head of the city's gang reduction program. 'An incident like this, even a couple of years ago, would have created many more days of violence.'"

Latin American Herald Tribune - 15 Kidnappers in Mexican Border City Could Get Life in Prison

Latin American Herald Tribune - 15 Kidnappers in Mexican Border City Could Get Life in Prison: "group of 15 kidnappers arrested in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico’s murder capital, could be the first people convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the crime, the Chihuahua state Attorney General’s Office said.

The kidnapping ring, which had operated for nearly six months, was dismantled by the army, the AG’s office said.

Six men between the ages of 18 and 21, along with two minors, are among the suspects in the kidnapping of an 18-year-old businessman who was set free last Wednesday, the AG’s office said."

gangs which have been there for a long time include the Crips and the Bloods from California.

The gangs which have been there for a long time include the Crips and the Bloods from California. The origins of the Crips and Bloods can be traced to the late 1960′s, and the gang culture is a very deep rooted trait in the west coast area that many families have three to four generations of gangsters residing in the same residence areas where their origins sparked off. L.A. has gangs like any other city in the world but their number is between 800 and 1000 (one of the largest in the world) , with members from ranging between astonishing numbers of 120,000 to 220,000 . These numbers have been a serious debate over the past years, and depending on what set of criteria is being followed to decide who is and is not a gang member. The figures could be considerably higher.
One of the famous Little Rock Blood gangs, the Highland Court Crew, has been their in various forms of organizations since 1984. Graffiti and other activities by them were became a major mark in round about 1987. Most of the other major area gangs were formed pretty later on in the late 80′s and early 90′s with the greatest gang growth year being 1990. Almost all of these gangs are affiliated with the four major gangs. Those are: 1) Crips; 2) Bloods; 3) Folk Nation; and 4) People Nation. The Crips and Bloods are Los Angeles oriented while the Folk Nation and People Nation are Chicago oriented. The Black Gangster Disciples (a sub-group of the Hoovers) appears to be the largest denomination with the Bloods being the second largest. Some believe the Disciples and Crips are aligning on the streets as well as in the prisons, as are the Bloods and Vice-Lords.
During the time they serve in prison, these youngsters are exposed to the world of real life gangsters who have truly experienced the hard-core gang violence. Then once they get back put on the streets these new comers go with more “knowledge” than ever could have been gained on the streets. When they are in prison, many gain rank or “juice” within their gang because they went to the “joint”. While most kids on the streets are good kids, as long as society continues in the direction in which we are currently drifting, all kids must be considered at risk.

Buses transporting women from work were ambushed Friday resulting in the deaths of five women.

Buses transporting women from work were ambushed Friday resulting in the deaths of five women. The attack took place in Ciudad Juarez.

A convoy of 20 police travelling in SUVs was ambushed shortly after in Jalisco in western Jalisco state. At least nine Mexican police officers were shot dead in that attack.

At least 5 people were injured when attacked by people throwing grenades in a suburb of Guadelajara, the state capital of Jalisco.

Two of the wounded were toddlers.

Separately 6 youths were gunned down in Mexico City on Thursday night. The boys were standing outside a shop when attacked by unknown gunmen.

Earlier this week fourteen teenagers were shot dead at a birthday party in Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua state, near the U.S., while 13 rehablitating addicts were killed in an attack on a rehabilitation centre in Tijuana.

Two days ago 15 people were shot dead at a car wash in Tepic in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit.

An estimated 7,000 people have died violent deaths in 2010, a response to the Mexican government's stepped-up efforts to combat the drug cartels.