Latin families.” The group is considered to be very violent because of there involvement with many murders and assaults on enemies. “The group is known to be involved in various illegal activities including narcotics trafficking, gambling, inmate assaults, protection rackets, and staff intimidation” (F.B.P., 1994, p.36). The HPL has split into two factions because of disagreements in the way operations were being run. One faction is called the “16/12”, which refers to the 16th and 12th letters of the alphabet “P” and “L”. The “P” and “L” stand for Pistoleros Latinos. The other faction is called the “45’s” which is derived from the tattoo of a .45 caliber pistol found usually on the stomach area directly under the ribs. Both factions use the original constitution and rules. The HPL is currently conducting meetings in order to reunite both sides back together. Some of the 16/12’s are refusing to unite and are forming their own group called the Pistoleros Mexicanos or PM. At one time the HPL aligned with the Mexikanemi (Mexican Mafia), but is now at war with them because of some recent events involving drug deals gone wrong and murdering of each other’s members.Mexikanemi better known as the Mexican Mafia or “La Eme” is Currently the largest disruptive group in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Mexican Mafia was started in 1984 as a means for Hispanic inmates to become more aware of their cultural heritage. As membership increased, the Mexican Mafia changed from just being aware of their cultural heritage and began taking part in criminal activities. Those criminal activities are extortion, narcotics trafficking, and murder both inside and outside the prison walls. Their constitution states, “in being a criminal organization, we will function in any aspect or criminal interest for the bene...
