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A Brief History of the Mexican Mafia

The Mexican Mafia, sometimes called La eMe (Spanish for 鈥渢he M鈥�), is a criminal gang that has Mexican Americans as members in the United States. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia is a wholly American criminal prison organization; it has no connection to Mexico.

According to law enforcement sources, the Mexican Mafia is the deadliest and most dominant group operating inside the California jail system. The Mexican Mafia is regarded by the United States government as being “among the most powerful, dangerous, and feared criminal organizations in the world.鈥� La Eme is even thought to be more dangerous and powerful than any Mexican drug cartel.

Below is A Brief History of the Mexican Mafia:

The Mexican Mafia Culture

It is believed that the Mexican Mafia is presided over by several leaders as the members have the authority to order murders, and oversee other criminal activities. What makes the Mexican Mafia even stronger is having several associates who help them carry out their orders. They have the theoretical control of all Sureno gang members.

Loyalty tests are the key component for anyone to be a member of the Mexican Mafia. Some of the loyalty tests include theft or murder which gives them a pass if accomplished. However, the penalty for refusal to take orders or complete an assigned task is often death.

The Mexican Mafia has its constitution which states that members can be killed if they commit any of four major infractions. These infractions include a member being an informant, any acts of homosexuality, acting cowardice, and showing disrespect to fellow gang members. A vote of three members is always required for a member of the gang to be executed in case of infractions. There are no approvals required for the murder of a non-member.

In the early 1960s, two members of the gang established a blood oath for their members. Before the oath, the members of the Mexican Mafia were always free to return to their street gangs. However, after the new oath, the only way for the Mexican Mafia members to leave the gang was by death. The rules were established by Flores and Cadena.

The two also formulated other policies that have been followed ever since. They include:

• A new member has to be sponsored by an existing member,
• Approval from all existing members is required for joining which is no longer followed,
• The gang was to be prioritized over family,
• Member had to deny the existence of the gang to law enforcement and non-members,
• Other members are to be respected, and
• Street conflicts are to be forgiven before joining the gang.

Another tough thing the Mexican Mafia always held was that execution of a member was done by the member who sponsored them. Their slogan has always been a blood-in, blood-out meaning membership is through the drawing of blood, and getting out is by death.

The Mexican Mafia鈥檚 Symbol

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Symbols of the Mexican Mafia often depict a black hand. The main emblem of the gang is the eagle and serpent that represents Mexico鈥檚 flag on top of a burning circle above crossed knives, and it is frequently inked on members鈥� bodies. Since the letter 鈥淢鈥� is the thirteenth letter in the contemporary Latin-derived alphabet, street gangs affiliated with the Mexican Mafia frequently utilize the number 13 as a gang identity.

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Allies of the Mexican Mafia

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Almost all Hispanic gangs in Southern California and some gangs located in Central and Northern California are controlled by the Mexican Mafia. Their vassal gangs are known as Sure帽os.

Under the death threat, members of at least all Southern California Hispanic gangs are required to oblige to orders from the Mexican Mafia. Due to their common rivalry within the prison system, the Mexican Mafia holds some alliance with the Aryan Brotherhood.

The Rivals of the Mexican Mafia

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Every criminal gang has its rivals who are always at war to control their trade and other profitable things. The Mexican Mafia’s primary rivals are the Nuestra Familia. They are also rivals with the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang that has alliances with La Nuestra Familia.

The rivalry between the Mexican Mafia also includes Bloods and Crips, and Los Zetas. They have been engaging in bloody and brutal wars over turf, drug territories, and other reasons. Retaliations, murders, drive-by shootings, bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and shootouts are the other types of war these gangs engage in.

Rules of Conduct

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The Mexican Mafia has its rules of conduct which every member has to follow. These rules of conduct should be followed with any member who breaks them faces huge punishment including death.

The Mexican Mafia has eighteen rules of conduct. Below are some of the rules:

• A member may not be an informant.
• A member may not be a coward.
• A member may not raise a hand against another member without approval from the higher-ups and leaders.
• A member must not show disrespect for any member鈥檚 family, including sex with another member鈥檚 wife, or girlfriend.
• A member must not steal from another member.
• A member may not be a homosexual, sex offender, child killer, child molester, or rapist.
• A member must not politic against another member or cause dissension within the organization.
• Membership is for life, the only way out is death.

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Criminal Activities of the Mexican Mafia

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The Mexican Mafia organization has been involved in several criminal activities over the years. Their criminal activities have always been deadly and resulted in the deaths of people as well as the destruction of lives.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that the Mexican Mafia arranged for several contract murders with the Aryan Brotherhood. Several homicides rated as street-level homicides in Los Angeles, the Highland Park area were carried out by orders by the Mexican Mafia.

Major criminal activities of the Mexican Mafia are carried into both inside and outside the prison system. Their main source of income is from extorting drug distributors outside prison. They also engage in distributing drugs within and outside the prison system.

However, the Mexican Mafia could be controlled by some of the top profile members which were seen in 1992. Joe Morgan who was a prominent leader of the Mexican Mafia in 1992 ordered for cessation of drive-by shootings. For more than five months, there were no drive-by shootings in East Los Angeles which were full of chaos.

Since the 1970s, the Mexican Mafia鈥檚 atrocities have been overwhelming sending chills to the victims and the families of some members. The only way to avoid the Mexican Mafia is by keeping them off and avoiding any interaction with their gang members on any deals.

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