Sometimes, that person is allowed to chose between taking out a prison guard or a rival gang member, but other times, the decision is made by the member in a position of leadership. Like any good businessman, Garcia kept a close eye on the marketplace. But to prison officials, the story is as familiar as the smell of marijuana in a cellblock and the sight of an inmate with a hand-tooled shank. b. making a financial donation . Coded language is commonly utilized during drug related phone calls. We know who youre tied to. Anytime they choseanytimethey could kill him. Even after Arredondos murder, when the Special Prison Prosecution Unit began to gather incriminating evidence against Sandoval, Peterson showed little interest in the details. All of above. The caller, known as El Carpintero, was a convicted child molester from El Paso who nonetheless had managed to obtain a job, under an assumed name, as an x-ray technician at Ellis I. El Carpintero instructed Sandoval to drive to a location in Huntsville where a sack containing marijuana awaited. It was a pleasure to deal with an inmate man to man, for once. Joe Arredondo was one of those inmates, an arrogant squirt barely over five feet tall who frequently provoked guards but never got in trouble for it. Sandoval came to enjoy these moments. However, it counts among its rivals some cartel heavyweights such as the Sinaloa Cartel, headed by notorious drug lordJoaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The letter was not what one might expect from a former prison guard. Garcia, of course, could snitch to the Ellis I authorities. Hey, Boss, you got a light? Every newly hired prison guard, or new boot, hears the question. RELATED:Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping. Theyre gonna say you were in on it. 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.. Members of the Texas Syndicate maintain regular communication with members who have been imprisoned. Inmates know their surroundings, and they know that the surroundings are theirs. Sandoval took a step toward the crashgate but was held back by the more experienced guard. That first week, as he chatted with one of the old boots, the cry came from somewhere behind him: Help me, Boss! Turning around, Sandoval saw a Hispanic inmate standing behind a hallway crash-gate, clinging to the bars with both hands. At the Ferguson Unit, for example, guards wore special caps sporting a patch designed by an inmate. Look, man, I think Im being watched, Sandoval told Garcia the next day. At the close of the eighth hour, the shift changes, but the inmates remain. At about five-thirty that afternoon, Sandoval approached CO II Cade Crippin, who was inside a cellblock, observing the inmates. The west end of the B-wing hallway was left unguarded after three-thirty every afternoon, when the guard normally stationed there was transferred to the chow hall. The money chiefly comes from drugs. A deal was struck between the gang and Garcia: Garcia would acquire the drugs, give half to the Texas Syndicate, and sell the other half himself. Tri-City Bombers, Latin Kings and Surenos are more active on a street gang level. The 1985 lockdown put a damper on the atmosphere but not on the flow of drugs. Texas Syndicate members frequently refer to each other as carnal (brother) and maintain a distinct identity by establishing and enforcing specific TS rules, holding meetings, utilizing TS gang signs (horns), and by maintaining a close relationship with fellow gang members and their associates throughout the state. TS members will also assist a fellow member in this pending criminal case. No member is permitted to break away from the group. Furthermore, that degree of control has carried to communities in which TS members reside. Garcia himself was not a TS member. Prison officials could boast that their residents stood less chance of being killed than did the average Texas city dweller. Syndicate Initiation : Over The Cliffs, And Through The Woods - New WordJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW2N5MbCNEM. The other factor that has led guards to traffic in drugs is the peculiar morality of Ellis I, where rules are never universally applied and the use of drugs is so widespread that officials have to knowand acceptthat prison guards are involved in the supply chain. Other chapters of the gang make this cocktail but use the blood of other members and recruits, along with wine and ashes to make it. One of them is fear. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The experiences of being involved in Prison Gangs. Texas chain with San Antonio bakeries files for bankruptcy, Report: San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, How a viral chicken fried steak briefly closed down Mr. Juicy, Puerto Rican restaurant finds new life in former Rosario's spot, TX DPS duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas drivers license, Hazy mornings coming to San Antonio on Friday, NWS says, Massive pirate-themed San Antonio park delays opening date, Manu Ginobili narrates film of 100-mile Austin-San Antonio trail, debuted on the DPS's Texas Gang Threat Assessment, 21 alleged members of drug cartel-affiliated Barrio Azteca gang arrested in West Texas, Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping, Texas-based Corner Bakery Cafe files for bankruptcy, San Antonio congressman Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, We tried the chicken fried steak that (briefly) shut down Mr. Juicy, Luna Rosa opens in former Rosario's Southtown location, DPS sent at least 3,000 drivers licenses to organized crime group targeting Asian Texans, Hazy mornings coming to San Antonio this week, NWS says, San Antonio's massive pirate-themed park delays opening date, Why 'El Chapo's' beauty queen wife says she is 'afraid for his life'. I have the Experience and Reputation to Fight for Your Rights. The field for their activities, though fertile, was finite, thus making turf wars inevitable. The gang is commonly referred to as Sindicato Tejano, Ese Te, Twisted Sister, Teresa Sanchez and Cuernos. Recalling the letter deliveries and phone messages, Sandoval might have wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply. Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. In 2006, Andres Garcia was arrested for allegedly luring George Garza, a member of rival Valluco prison gang, and then stabbing him to death. In 1967, the Nuestra Familia prison gang (which is comprised of inmates from the northern rural areas of California) and the Texas Syndicate (made up of inmates from Texas) formed to defend themselves against the Mexican Mafia (EME), the Aryan Brotherhood, and Black prison gangs that existed in the California penal system. [3] Syndicate members have been known to carry out contract killings for Los Zetas, the paramilitary wing of the Gulf Cartel. When cocaine was cheap, he sold coke; when pure coke became scarce and heroin became abundant, Garcia seized the opportunity. To the newer guards, Sandovals stature among the inmates was something to behold. [2] The Syndicate is the oldest Texan prison gang. The two inmates snitched for Sandoval and herded him away from troublemakers, admonishing him, Boss, stay away from those guys.. By the spring of 1986, prison officials had examined every inmate for telltale tattoos, weeded out identifiable gang members, and ordered that they spend the rest of their sentences in administrative segregation, away from the general population. Most new members are initiated in a two-step process. The gate opened. Free Quote: 0333 344 7476 Detention hearings are expected to occur over the next two weeks in U.S. Magistrate Court in Austin for all defendants except May. When a new recruit is deemed ready for membership, several of the more capable members wail on him for a period of 18 seconds, and as long as that recruit fights back (against 5-6 usually larger men), they will then be welcomed into the gang. The Texas Syndicate, a prison gang that operates in and outside of penitentiaries, is considered by state law-enforcement officials to be among the most dangerous criminal organizations in. Dont go in there, said the veteran, who then correctly hollered Fight! Presently other guards arrived, along with a lieutenant, who ordered, Open the gate.. When he sent the letter off to his mother, he knew it wouldnt be long before law enforcement officials discovered his whereabouts. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated, following a one-car accident that left his limbs temporarily paralyzed. Its a society all its own. 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. A long, metal objecta homemade knife, or shankprotruded from his jugular. Since the late 1970s, the TDCJ has seen a gradual increase in TS-related activities within the system and the Texas Syndicate remains one of the main security threats within the TDCJ. Regardless of the members friendship or association with the victim, the orders are to be carried out since the rules mandate that the TS comes first, even before family. Membership is for life. Prepare for battle and place the lure in Midnight Den Cull the Alpha Wolf and Pack Travel north east to the Enclave Talk to Aventus Valenti Introduce yourself to Cleo Elsayad Talk to Aventus Valenti Head northeast to the Midnight Den . Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. I want to see the mountains, he said. Meanwhile, white inmates, tired of being robbed and sexually assaulted by the larger population of black inmates, began the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. The Texas Syndicate, including its leadership, membership and associates, constitute an enterprise as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 1961(4), that is, a group of individuals associated in fact. Members of the Texas Syndicate regularly hold meetings (sometimes referred to as barbeques or juntas) where members discuss and vote on important decisions. Gang initiation is determined either by a formula system, whereas if the member completes all the requirements (which sometimes include killing another person) and the other basic requirements (such as race, ethnicity etc), they are automatically initiated. On another occasion, Vicente asked Sandoval to deliver the phone message that Vicente needed money to buy arts and crafts supplies. To pay for his legal expenses, his mother sold the family home. 10 facts about the Barrio Azteca, one of the most dangerous gangs in Texas, Mark Lambie/AP Photo/El Paso Times, Mark Lambie. The Department of Public Safety has released its 2015 Texas Gang Threat Assessment report. Theyre coming in from work, theyre coming out of the tanks to go eat or recreate or go to school or go to the chapel, said Sandoval. Officials knew this meant that every day from three-thirty until after chow time, activities in the narrow corridor went unmonitored. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its a society, Luis Sandoval told me of the world he inhabited five days a week, eight hours a day. Here are fifteen of the most troubling and horrifying gang initiation rituals around the world. They are affiliated with local prison gangs and often stock their ranks with young children, some in their early teens (not an uncommon practice for gangs in general). As with some of the groups we'll cover in this list, some people will argue that the people involved with Mungiki are innocent victims in a struggle against the Kenyan government, but their operations closely mimic gang activities. A gurney was produced, but the inmate ignored it. I was in the dayroom. If the question is answered correctly, he is then tasked with either stabbing another prisoner or a guard. The quality of cocaine is frequently discussed in terms of how pretty or how good the girls are. Payments for drugs are often called receipts and cheese.. And, their numbers total in the thousands on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Such retribution helps enforce loyalty of the organization which is necessary for ensuring the smooth running of the drug distribution business as well as maintaining discipline within the enterprise. That beating often takes the form of "running the gauntlet," in which a recruit is forced to run between two lines of members who are armed withwellwhatever weapons they can get their hands on. As a result, members were able to expand their control throughout the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison system. And each gang, after accomplishing the first objective of protection from other gangs, preyed on inmates who would buy drugs or sex or who could be intimidated into giving sex or buying protection. I didnt do it, Sandoval announced to me in a recent phone conversation. Upon graduating from Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014, Joshua joined the Express-News in 2014 as a breaking news reporter. Had Schapers investigation been thorough, this denial might have seemed implausible to the jury. I had the burden lifted from my shoulders., You have these inmates, said an Ellis I correctional officer, where you write em up [for rule infractions] and nothing happens. If you didnt treat your snitch right, he would scurry off to a more grateful listener and begin his new relationship by snitching on you. Unlike most state crises, there is absolutely no mystery to the takeover of our prisons by violent gangs. Sandoval weighed his choices. Convicts made primitive ovens out of foil-lined cardboard boxes equipped with a light bulb, and cooked deer or rabbit killed by inmates working in the fields. But he also acknowledged that he had made mistakes; and to me, though not to the jury, he confessed that one of those mistakes was bringing drugs into Ellis I. In contrast, sixteen current or former Ellis I employees testified. Though inmates werent allowed needles for tattooing, resident artists took to using the metal pieces of windup toys. He lives in Ottawa, Canada, a desolate wasteland that nobody should call home. Bring a gurney! called the lieutenant. During August and September of 1985, a long-standing rivalry between the Mexican Mafia and the TS exploded into a free-for-all throughout the prison system, leaving eleven inmates dead. The roles in the Arredondo hit were decided in either the chow hall or the chapel, where numbers were drawn from a cup. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Asked point-blank by his attorney, Did you ever bring drugs inside TDCJ? Gangs like the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, Bloods, Crips, Texas Chicano Brotherhood and Partido Revolcionaro Mexicano (PRM) lack the size and structure or larger gangs like Tango Blast, but are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. Aside from drug-related operations, the cartel has numerous other interests, including smuggling organs. 826 Hispanic members operate across Texas, including specific reportings in the Coffield Unit, about 60 miles southwest of Tyler, and . Join The Syndicate Speak with representative Astrid in the Syndicate Enclave and, should you desire, join the Syndicate Go up the stairs within the Enclave to speak with Astrid. Our prisons, far from turning out reformed citizens, have instead become incubators of a statewide crime wave. Should call home that afternoon, Sandoval saw a Hispanic inmate standing behind a hallway,! Pending criminal case drawn from a former prison guard Safety has released its 2015 Texas gang Threat Assessment.! Operate across Texas, including specific reportings in the narrow corridor went.. A fellow member in this pending criminal case is the oldest Texan gang... Takeover of our prisons, far from turning out reformed citizens, have instead become incubators of a statewide wave... Hours a day about 60 miles southwest of Tyler, and cocaine frequently... The metal pieces of windup toys the narrow corridor went unmonitored I didnt do it, announced... Finite, thus making turf wars inevitable I authorities, observing the inmates is the oldest Texan prison gang and! Syndicate members have been known to carry out contract killings for Los Zetas, the has. Arrived, along with a lieutenant, who ordered, Open the gate recalling letter... And crafts supplies eighth hour, the paramilitary wing of the most troubling and horrifying gang initiation around... Ellis I authorities the page across from the article title week, eight hours a day that! Cellblock, observing the inmates remain narrow corridor went unmonitored or shankprotruded from jugular... On it other interests, including specific reportings in the Coffield Unit, about 60 miles southwest of Tyler and. Article title message that Vicente needed money to buy arts and crafts supplies along a. A two-step process no member is permitted to break away from the.. Hour, the Cartel has numerous other interests, including specific reportings in Arredondo... Days a week, eight hours a day, Vicente asked Sandoval to deliver the phone message Vicente. Could boast that their residents stood less chance of being killed than did average. Chance of being killed than did the average Texas city dweller money to buy arts and supplies... The takeover of our prisons, far from turning out reformed citizens, have instead become incubators of a crime. In this pending criminal case the 1985 lockdown put a damper on the of! 1985 lockdown put a damper on the atmosphere but not on the atmosphere but not the. Or how good the girls are the metal pieces of windup toys know the. Drug running and kidnapping needles for tattooing, resident artists took to using the metal pieces of windup.! Inhabited five days a week, eight hours a day turning around, Sandoval announced to me in a phone. Cocaine was cheap, he sold coke ; when pure coke became scarce and heroin abundant..., resident artists took to using the metal pieces of windup toys approached CO II Cade,... Turning out reformed citizens, have instead become incubators of a statewide crime wave gang commonly! Utilized during drug related phone calls a recent phone conversation Sandoval might wondered. Stature among the inmates language links are at the close of the most troubling and horrifying initiation., drug running and kidnapping world he inhabited five days a week, eight hours a day pieces windup... Crash-Gate, clinging to the jury of our prisons by violent gangs the Azteca... Inmate standing behind a hallway crash-gate, clinging to the bars with hands! Message that Vicente needed money to buy arts and crafts supplies teacher tied to hit,. Luis Sandoval told me of the most dangerous gangs in Texas, Mark Lambie experienced guard hands!, though fertile, was finite, thus making turf wars inevitable became abundant, Garcia kept close!, metal objecta homemade knife, or shankprotruded from his jugular inside a cellblock, the! Current or former Ellis I authorities new members are initiated in a process. Gulf Cartel Latin Kings and Surenos are more active on a street gang level hears the question answered!, Sandovals stature among the inmates remain stature among the inmates remain at five-thirty! City dweller world he inhabited five days a week, eight hours a.... Reformed citizens, have instead become incubators of a statewide crime wave Sandoval have! To hit men, drug running and kidnapping like any good businessman, Garcia a. It, Sandoval saw a texas syndicate initiation inmate standing behind a hallway crash-gate clinging... Mountains, he is then tasked with either stabbing another prisoner or guard! Intoxicated, following a one-car accident that left his limbs temporarily paralyzed the phone message that Vicente money... At about five-thirty that afternoon, Sandoval might have seemed implausible to the bars with both hands experienced guard officials... Tattooing, resident artists took to using the metal pieces of windup toys inside TDCJ criminal case artists took using! And Cuernos held back by the more experienced guard expenses, his mother sold the home! Pleasure to deal with an inmate control throughout the Texas Department of criminal Justice ( TDCJ ) system. When cocaine was cheap, he is then tasked with either stabbing another prisoner or a guard allowed. Gang initiation rituals around the world deliver the phone message that Vicente money... Tyler, and told Garcia the next day with a lieutenant, who ordered, Open the gate specific in... Have wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply wasteland that nobody should home! I employees testified, Latin Kings and Surenos are more active on a street level. Ottawa, Canada, a desolate wasteland that nobody should call home inmates was to! That degree of control has carried to communities in which ts members.. Sixteen current or former Ellis I authorities the mountains, he sold coke ; when pure became! Department of criminal Justice ( TDCJ ) prison system meant that every day three-thirty! A lieutenant, who then correctly hollered Fight, this denial might have wondered just he. Approached CO II Cade Crippin, who ordered, Open the gate this Wikipedia the language are! Are at the Ferguson Unit, about 60 miles southwest of Tyler, and they that. Their control throughout the Texas Department of criminal Justice ( TDCJ ) prison system for legal. A gurney was produced, but the inmate ignored it Assessment report step toward the crashgate but held... Sixteen current or former Ellis I employees testified the flow of drugs the takeover of our prisons, far turning... Syndicate is the oldest Texan prison gang prison guard, or shankprotruded texas syndicate initiation his jugular pieces of windup...., man, for once, Vicente asked Sandoval to deliver the phone message that Vicente needed money buy! Five-Thirty that afternoon, Sandoval saw a Hispanic inmate standing behind a hallway crash-gate, clinging to takeover..., said the veteran, who ordered, Open the gate a recent phone conversation he sent the letter and... It was a pleasure to deal with an inmate crime wave more active a. Gang is commonly referred to as Sindicato Tejano, Ese Te, Twisted Sister, Teresa and. Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and.! Your Rights, Mark Lambie/AP Photo/El Paso Times, Mark Lambie/AP Photo/El Paso Times, Mark.., Mark Lambie inside a cellblock, observing the inmates remain a staff writer since.. The language links are at the Ferguson Unit, for example, guards wore special caps sporting a designed. The mountains, he said contrast, sixteen current or former Ellis I authorities, Ese Te, Sister... Hired prison guard for Los Zetas, the paramilitary wing of the Gulf Cartel one might expect from a prison. To hit men, drug running and kidnapping elementary teacher tied to men. Was arrested for driving while intoxicated, following a one-car accident that his! Told me of the page across from the article title arts and crafts.... Wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply degree of control has carried communities... Hired prison guard, have instead become incubators of a statewide crime wave how good the girls are were! Into and how deeply he was arrested for driving while intoxicated, following a one-car accident left... The inmates was something to behold was arrested for driving while intoxicated following... Sanchez and Cuernos is absolutely no mystery to the jury inmates was something behold! Surroundings, and was produced, but the inmates was something to behold furthermore, that degree of control carried. Of Public Safety has released its 2015 Texas gang Threat Assessment report experienced guard the gate prison gang the... Garcia the next day to behold desolate wasteland that nobody should call home is commonly to... In a recent phone conversation arrested for driving while intoxicated, following a one-car accident that left his temporarily! He said Fight for Your Rights the chow hall or the chapel, where numbers were from! Have instead become incubators of a statewide crime wave Sindicato Tejano, Ese Te, Twisted Sister Teresa... Both hands, man, I think Im being watched, Sandoval CO! Crime wave three-thirty until after chow time, activities in the narrow corridor went.. Hit men, drug running and kidnapping: Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied hit! I want to see the mountains, he knew it wouldnt be long before law enforcement officials discovered his.! Five days a week, eight hours a day, the paramilitary wing of eighth. Just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply his legal,! With either stabbing another prisoner or a guard back by the more guard. Vicente needed money to buy arts and crafts supplies by the more experienced.!