L.A. Gangbanger Caught in Kinney County

Capture Underlines Murky Crisis-Within-a-Crisis

Another picture this week, courtesy of the Kinney County Sheriff’s department, which highlights something we’ve been saying about the Border Crisis.

It doesn’t matter how many of the people coming and trying to claim asylum are fraudulent but harmless. They provide a sort of cover and concealment for dangerous criminals who are banking on the system being overwhelmed and unable to deal with them.

Feast your eyes on this:

This fellow was captured Sep. 5th, somewhere near the Spofford Railyard. Spofford is an almost ghost town, that once upon a time was the most prosperous town in the county. Way back when, it was a major stop for the railroad, until it wasn’t. And the town almost dried up and went away. It’s had a new lease on life in the last couple of years, with the establishment of a railyard where empty train cars are cleaned and serviced before going back and forth across the border. It’s also a handy spot for Texas Rangers to find illegal aliens that are trespassing and ripe for arrest and state charges.

Getting back to the picture, this suspect is a member of the 18th Street Gang. If you’ve never heard of them, that’s okay, they’re basically a wildly successful criminal ally of the Mexican Mafia. The 18th Street gang began as a basic Los Angeles street gang, decades ago. They are now an international organization, warring with MS-13 for control of what’s called the Central American Northern Triangle— one of the bloodiest regions of narcotrafficking conflict in the Western hemisphere. They’re also one of the most cosmopolitan gangs out there, accepting blacks, Mexicans, and South Americans as members.

Law Enforcement describes the 18th Street Gang as a “Sureño” gang, which basically describes a loose confederation of gangs allied with the Mexican Mafia. They tend to battle with the “Norteños” in the California prison system. Also called “Calle 18,” authorities say the 18th Streeters are one of the largest transnational criminal gangs out there, with an estimated membership approaching 50-thousand.

One Department of Homeland Security Agent who asked not to be identified, tells the Cavalry - Dispatch “He probably had to come in [to the U.S.] over by you guys in Texas, some other areas he’s KOS [Kill on Sight]. They have very defined areas.” The agent is touching upon 18th Street’s rivalry with MS-13, and how they would react to this suspect’s presence in their territory.

18th street is described as being well organized, with a brutal code of conduct. Punishment for members who break their rules include taking an 18-second beating, or execution for serious offenses. They’re also occasionally referred to as the “Children’s Army” because they frequently recruit elementary and middle school aged children into the organization.

At the time of this arrest, Texas DPS says they’ve apprehended 700 criminal gang members as a result of Operation Lonestar.