fit or advancement of La Eme. We will traffic in drugs, contracts of assassination, prostitution, robbery of high magnitude, and in anything that we can imagine.” The recruiting process consists of a sponsorship where the recruit is taught the ways of the gang and then voted in. “The background check is poorly conducted, and only a majority vote is required to gain admittance to the gang” (Ralph, 1997, p.185). The Mexican Mafia is structured under para-military lines with a president, vice-president, and generals that members are expected to follow strictly. The president is in charge of all members both inside and outside the prison system. This is also true for the vice-president and generals. Each of the generals are responsible for a specific geographical area of the state. Lieutenants are appointed to be in charge of certain cities and specific units by the president or vice-president. The Mexican Mafia’s operations are not strictly confined to the state of Texas and they currently conduct illegal activities in several states. The largest number of members hail from the San Antonio, Texas area which is why San Antonio is the home city of the Mexican Mafia. Other areas containing strong membership are Dallas, Houston, Austin, and El Paso. Members of the Mexican Mafia can be identified by tattoos displaying an eagle with a snake in the mouth. Another common marking is the word “eme” or a sun and a two-headed snake. Enemies of the Mexican Mafia include the Texas Syndicate,HPL, and Barrio Aztecas.The Texas Mafia is a predominantly White group that was formed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in the early 1980’s. This group is made up mostly of offenders that have a vast knowledge of narcotics and narcotic trafficking. This group is known for their violence as shown in the large number of offender homicides the group has participated in. The Texas Mafia is closely alig...
