The Barrio Azteca gang members organize themselves using a paramilitary structure and apply English terms or their Spanish equivalent words for ranks such as captain, lieutenant, and sergeant. [75][76] On May 21, 2020, high ranking Barrio Azteca leader Jose Dolores Villegas Soto, who is known by his moniker "El Iraqui," and aliases "El Iraki" and "El Lolo," was arrested with 10 other suspected Barrio Azteca members. Not all the killings carried about by Ravelo's gang are a result of drug disputes. Affiliations Son liderados por Cesar Vialpando . Below them, captains control mini-plazas that are run by lieutenants. The Aztecas are based on the real-life gang called the Sureos. Varrios Los Aztecas Even though they dress similarly to some members of the Marabunta Grande, Aztecas do not sport face tattoos unlike their rivals. Many Mexicans who are imprisoned within United States prison systems in Texas join the Barrio Azteca. [12] Some undocumented Mexicans arrested in the United States are imprisoned in Texan prisons and consequently join Barrio Azteca. Aztecas can be easily identified by their light teal/turquoise coloured cholo-style clothing. [6] Control of the routes in Ciudad Jurez, known as the "Jurez plaza," is vital for drug trafficking organizations, since they are a major illicit conduit into the United States. Trevor Philips EnterprisesThe Lost MCMarabunta GrandeVagosMotorcycle Clubs (GTA Online)Organizations (GTA Online) "[29][31] What was troubling for the authorities was that the victims were not gathered inside a bar or at a rehab center, but rather at a private home. Mural "Colores de Mi Barrio" in El Azteca, Texas. 1/2lb. La Linea and the Barrio Azteca. Drug distribution is believed to represent over half of the gang's revenue. The Cereso jail in Jurez has also served as an important operational center for weapons and drugs smuggling, according to one former member. They promised 60days but exceeded expectations. [68] Barrio Azteca has also authorized the killings of U.S. law enforcement officials for cracking down their criminal operations, offering up to $200,000 U.S. The violence resulted in the deaths of 20 inmates. Type They also have territory on Blaine County, with their headquarters being the Alamo Sea. "[36] The federal government of Mexico responded to the massacre by implementing the "Todos Somos Jurez" program, which aimed to improve education and social development, create jobs, and improve the health benefits in Ciudad Jurez. [35] But Caldern was widely criticized for his initial comments after the massacre, where he claimed that the investigations had showed that those killed were almost certainly targeted for being involved in organized crime. Photograph. The Varrios Los Aztecas, also known as VLA or simply Aztecas, are a relatively small Mexican street gang featured in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. [21] Once they took the guards hostage, Barrio Azteca members went into high-security blocks where the rival members were in, forced the guards to open them, and went about killing the rival inmates. this is possible because of gang members being in both Mexico and the U.S. The gang, which refers to itself as the "Familia Azteca," requires members to prioritize gang activities over all else and has a set of "sacred rules," the breaking of which is grounds for harsh punishment and even death for gang members and their families. Ravelo then ordered the traitor to be sent to the Jurez cartel, and he was never heard from again. [49] Gallegos targeted the American officials because he believed they had given visas to members of a rival gang, although some say it was a case of mistaken identity. Adobo Marinated Pork Torta $13.00. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. In 2011, the FBI reported that Barrio Azteca also had members in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. [50] According to Reuters, the killings was an ongoing effort by Barrio Azteca to take control of the El PasoJurez drug trafficking corridor. The events took place in 2009 and 2011. The Barrio Azteca (BA) are a primarily Mexican-American criminal organization which first saw the light of day in 1986 in Texas. Much of the rest of the Barrio Azteca leadership is based in US jails, where leaders use telephones, the postal service and secret messages filtered to visitors to communicate with members on the outside. The relationships between gangs and cartels are constant, but show no particular loyalties or allegiances. The attacks brought down a great deal of pressure from the US government, which issued a federal indictment of 35 Barrio Azteca members in Texas in March 2011 on counts of extortion, murder, drug trafficking and money laundering. Fentanyl continues to wreak havoc on both sides of the US-Mexico border, as Mexican security forces continue to seize the, The ongoing search for members of Mexicos Yaqui Indigenous community, missing for well over a month, has become a rallying, A boat that capsized off Californias shores carrying some 30 people who paid more than $15,000 each to be shuttled, This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics, Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuelas ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. The group has control over other local gangs, has members across the border, and already moves drug shipments across the border. International Criminal Justice Review, Cartel: The Coming Invasion of Mexico's Drug Wars, El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency, Manhunt of Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn (20012014), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrio_Azteca&oldid=1119495837, Articles with dead external links from November 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from November 2018, Articles with dead external links from October 2016, Pages using infobox criminal organization with ethnicity or ethnic makeup parameters, Pages using infobox criminal organization with rivals parameter, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 November 2022, at 22:14. Many Aztecas drive vehicles and members are seen standing on the sidewalks in groups of 3-5. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. The neighborhood maintains a sufficient concentration of historic properties, some of which are rare, even extraordinary, examples of domestic and commercial vernacular architecture found only in the borderlands region of South Texas. [4][5][6] Currently one of the most violent gangs in the United States,[7] they are said to have over 3,000 members across the country in locations such as New Mexico, Texas, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania as well as at least 5,000 members in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Also known as Criminal Data Check - Find Criminal, Arrest, & Court Records Online. The banner designs were very impressive which gave us nearly 2000 likes in just 1 month. [65] They had a membership of 2,000 strong in Ciudad Jurez alone that year. The so-called "hybrid members" allow the gangs to grow their empires with increased influence both in prisons and on the streets. They started to move large sums of cocaine and their money grows larger. By 2013, it reportedly had up to 5,000 in the Jurez area alone and an estimated 3,000 in the United States. DPS also cited the 2014 indictment of 55 Barrio Azteca members and associates as handicapping the gang's effectiveness. Mexican-American gang originally based in El Paso, Texas, "Negotiating Violence and Protection in Prison and on the Outside: The Organizational Evolution of the Transnational Prison Gang Barrio Azteca - R. V. 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V. Gundur. El Paso, Texas 1986 is when the Barrio Azteca gang was formed. [64], The gang also utilized a sophisticated communication network where they utilize coded letters, contraband cell phones that are smuggled into prison cells, and distribution of membership roster and hit-lists. Name According to the testimony of an alleged Barrio Azteca member, gang members torture and kill their victims by digging up holes in the ground, throwing a bunch of mesquite, and then pouring in some gasoline. Please take note that the information within CriminalDataCheck searches come from public sources and may not always be up-to-date and accurate. kelly turlington first husband. [3] The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. We are a start up, and wanted to reach out to entire target market to let them know how Zippy works. "Barrio Azteca Gang members are cold blooded criminals who show no respect for the law or justice, murdering innocent victims, trafficking drugs and inciting violence," said DEA Administrator Leonhart. The Barrio Azteca prison gang - which has chapters in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico - has historically been linked to the Juarez Cartel. Read. [6] The DEA estimates that about 70% of the cocaine to enter the United States does so through the area. Ten of these members were specifically indicted in connection with the 2010 Consulate case. While Barrio Azteca remains the dominant gang in El Paso, it lost in power in the city in 2014 as the Jurez Cartel continued to decline, according to the 2014 Texas Gang Threat Assessment, and a competitor gang called Sureo 13 grew as a result of a relationship with the Sinaloa Cartel. The group also helped the Jurez Cartel to move people and drugs as well as to acquire weapons and vehicles. These command sergeants, who are not always fully-fledged members, and finally soldiers, or "indios," who are often underage and are used for the local distribution of small amounts of drugs. [12] The Barrio Azteca has long sold drugs moved by the Jurez Cartel. Analysis that reveals opportunities, supports decisions and connects your SEO tactics and strategy directly to revenue. [38] The suspect said he acted as a lookout for the 24 gunmen that perpetrated the killing and had orders to "kill everyone inside. The neighborhood is situated on a high bluff overlooking the Rio Grande which not only forms its southern boundary, but designates the international boundary between the United States and Mexico. [69], On June 26, 2018, Barrio Azteca Capo Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo was arrested. [72] In November 2019, three members of La Empresa were arrested. [28] The Mexican authorities issued a money reward of $1 million pesos for anyone who could provide information that led to the arrest of the killers. [15], Eduardo Ravelo, the current leader of the Barrio Azteca, began his criminal career in the year 2003, amassing a list of charges for racketeering and numerous conspiracy charges with the intent to distribute narcotics. The gang is known for its gang members' use of the color blue in their clothing. They often use the letters "BA" or numbers "21" as their identifying symbols and tattoos. [54][55] Mendez, who was the El Paso FBI office's most wanted fugitive and the last person sought for the attacks, also made La Empresa a hybrid of Barrio Azteca. Because this gang has double citizenship in Mexico and the United States it makes them especially difficult to pin down as they can cross the border to commit a crime and then leave. [18] Today, the gang has expanded into a large criminal gang with presence in both the United States and Mexico, besetting by drug trafficking and human smuggling. Barrio Azteca, a prison gang born in the Texas jail system, is becoming a major player in the Mexican underworld and the "X-factor" in the battle for Ciudad Juarez, Mexican officials told InSight Crime. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. [56][61] This attack came just a week before several gunmen stormed two houses, killing 7 at a party and 2 at a nearby house. The first electric streetcar line built west of the Mississippi River passed through the neighborhood and crossed Zacate Creek via the Iturbide Street Bridge. However, this practice has waned due to police crackdowns on gang members. Some, however, are beheaded. Once their sentence is over, immigrants are sent back to their home country, allowing them to take parts in a variety of crimes. The entire website and Social media marketing was carried out soothly and got more likes on pages and they received more reviews and testimonials from their clients. You cant go wrong with DT Digital. Aztecas can be easily identified by their light teal/turquoise coloured cholo-style clothing. [38] He confessed to the authorities that the Jurez Cartel had received reports from within the organization that members of a rival drug trafficking organization were at the party the night the teenagers were killed. [20] The brawl, which was between Barrio Azteca and Los Mexicles, erupted at around 6 a.m. after the conclusion of a series of conjugal visits. Those four gangs turned Ciudad Jurez, which is next to El . It is likely that the Aztecas are based on various Chicano gangs such as the Florencia13 due to their location Northern Rancho which is based on Florence, as well as Varrio Nuevo Estrada given their name. [65] In March 2010, the FBI and the police department in El Paso stated that Barrio Azteca was more powerful than Los Zetas in the Jurez plaza. 'Barrio Azteca" is the largest most active gang in the ____ area. [3] The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. The Barrio Azteca was organized in the El Paso, Texas, County Jail in 1987 from where it moved to the streets and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison system. Group information He allegedly pays his sicarios (hitmen) less than 500 pesos (or about $40 U.S. dollars) a week to carry out assassinations. They are frequent adversaries and are known to steal shipments of goods intended for the player's Organization. [33] The governor of the state of Chihuahua, Jos Reyes Baeza Terrazas, showed up at the funeral unexpectedly to pay his respects to the families. Alongside Los Mexicles were the Artistas Asesinos, a rival gang and an enforcer group of the Sinaloa cartel. DT Digital is super charged digital marketing agency that is best known for our strategic brand solutions and world-class creatives. While gang activity is widespread, only about 15 percent have more than 11 members. The organization, also known as Los Barrios, derives some of its strength through alliances with Mexican drug cartels. The gang's highly organized nature has helped it gain membership on both sides of the border, and it could now be in a position to make the leap into large-scale transnational organized crime. [62], In June 2020, it was reported that La Lnea was the Jurez Cartel's most powerful fraction in Ciudad Jurez. Therefore, when illegal Mexicans were caught by the police and sent to jail they would join the gang inside the prison. 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The Aztecas make a minor appearance in The Contract update in Grand Theft Auto Online. The Eduardo Ravelo Era [72] Santana is accused of being a major force in the recent bloodshed which occurred in Jurez. The neighborhood took its name from El Azteca Theatre which opened in 1922 as the Teatro Nacional, a venue for theatrical and vaudeville performances. Grand Theft Auto VGrand Theft Auto Online, Online only:KurumaOrange DominatorBlue FutoHuntley SFroggerWarrener HKR. El Azteca is significant as a diverse, multi-layered cultural landscape. The gang specialized in the sale of narcotics coming from south of the border, but its members were also frequently used as hired gunmen and assassins both inside and outside of correctional facilities. "[67], Gang members in the organizations refer to each other as "carnal," a slang term for brother. crips refer to one another as. GANG Texas Mexican Mafia comes in a distant second with 4,700 members, followed by the Texas Syndicate (3,400 members), Latin Kings (2,100 members) and MS-13 (800 members). Founded In: 1986; Right from designing, strategizing, creating conversations, building awareness through social media campaigns, developing a portal with the latest technology and delivering the best user experience. [23] The violence continued elsewhere throughout the prison until around 2 a.m. the next day. Like most gangs, Barrio Azteca makes money from drug trafficking and sales, hired murder, kidnapping and ransom, prostitution, and other forms of organized criminal activity. The gang expanded after 1996, due in part to increasing deportations of imprisoned Mexican criminals by the United States. [48], The leader of Barrio Azteca, Arturo Gallegos Castrelln, better known for his nickname El Farmero, ordered the execution of two American consulate workers and a Mexican with ties to the agency in Ciudad Jurez on 13 March 2010. 6 on a list of border crime suspects sought by U.S. and Mexican authorities. Ravelo also encouraged, for most of the first decade of the 21st century, its own men to assault and rob civilians in an effort to collect large sums of money. [5] Outside of prison, members would contact imprisoned leaders to verify a status of a person using the name of Barrio Azteca to operate and see if they were in good standing with the organization. Some of the victims were stabbed with knives, while others were beaten to death; some were killed with home-made guns. [30] Videos from the crime scene depict a sparsely furnished home with large puddles of blood and taints smeared on the walls; in addition, more than 100 AK-47 bullet casings were found at the crime scene. [27] Witnesses said that the cartel members arrived at the crime scene in seven cars with tinted windows, closed down the street and blocked the exits.