escape of over 4,000 prisoners — including some of Port-au-Prince’s most notorious gang leaders — Haiti would soon see the return of the violence

escape of over 4,000 prisoners — including some of Port-au-Prince’s most notorious gang leaders — Haiti would soon see the return of the violence and criminality that had plagued the country in recent years. It was assumed, however, that as long as U.S. forces were present throughout the country, violence would be minimal; the real trouble would emerge once American troops began to withdraw. “Right now we’ve got (foreign) military crawling all over the island,” USIP’s Bob Perito explained at the time. “But they won’t be there forever.”

Judging from reports in the Washington Post and the Associated Press within the last week, it appears that events in Haiti are unfolding very much along the lines predicted by Perito and others. U.S. troops have been drawing down steadily in the last two months; what remains is a force of roughly 2,000 engineers and logisticians tasked with rubble-clearing and reconstruction. Meanwhile, the escaped gang leaders have reconstituted their posses and are now competing for control of their old turf. Kidnappings have increased in recent weeks, forcing aid groups to impose curfews and implement increased security measures. The gangs regularly terrorize vulnerable Haitians in the settlement camps throughout Port-au-Prince.

Gang members have also grown increasingly brazen in confronting the Haitian National Police (HNP), a force which was badly damaged in the quake, but has since established a reasonable patrolling presence throughout the capital city. Postcorrespondent Manuel Roig-Franzia described an incident in which gang members assaulted an HNP checkpoint, slaughtering a veteran of the force; HNP officers, according to Roig-Franzia, are frequently outgunned by the well-armed criminals.

Needless to say, in the months ahead, MINUSTAH — the 9,000-strong, Brazilian-led UN peacekeeping force in Haiti — and the HNP will be put to the test. Not only is gang violence likely to increase, but the two forces will be expected to provide security and stability prior to the postponed parliamentary and presidential elections, which are likely to be held late this year. Adding to the challenge, national police chief Mario Adresol has cited concerns, according to the Post, that political parties may be sponsoring and supporting armed groups in order to threaten opponents and otherwise create disorder prior to the elections — a tactic not without precedent in Haiti’s recent history.

500 Los Angeles Hispanic gangs outnumbered the combined armies of all the Crips and Blood gangs by more than double

500 Los Angeles Hispanic gangs outnumbered the combined armies of all the Crips and Blood gangs by more than double; the Southern California Hispanic gangs are united under the umbrella "Sureños;" and that Sureños include the three biggest gangs—Florence 13, 18^th Street and rival Mara Salvatrucha 13—you might give that title to the Sureños.

In Southern California, the Sureño gangs are the most active criminally, and the most prolific in gang killings by far. The African-American gangs are normally the victims of Sureños in hate-crime incidents, and the Sureños are invading Northern California cities by the hundreds, not vice versa.

The Sureños serve their masters—the Mexican Mafia (known as La Eme, the letter "M" in Spanish) prison gang. This alliance is the most dangerous prison gang and disruptive group combination. They control the majority of the California Department of Corrections facilities. In and out of custody, if one Eme member or Sureño becomes involved in a fight with law enforcement, all Sureños are required to assist the gang member against the police. Any Sureño in the vicinity must assault any other cop or prison staff member in the area. This Eme-Sureño coalition is rapidly gaining footholds in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The American media and even law enforcement, unfamiliar with the dynamics of real prison gangs, often try to compare these apples to oranges. Prison gangs are a quantum leap from street gangs, no matter how big or how powerful the street gang may be. Only traditional organized crime and large drug cartels can compare.

The prison gang's power over street gangs was dramatically illustrated in an incident that occurred in November of 1995.

Two years earlier, the Mexican Mafia had issued three edicts to Southern California Hispanic street gangs: Take over drug areas formally controlled by African-American gangs; tax illegal-alien drug dealers operating in Sureño controlled areas; and stop drive-by shootings. This was publically advertised in the newspapers, on radio and on TV as a "Hispanic peace initiative."

It was actually an attempt to reduce collateral casualties in the gang wars that drew unfriendly public attention and heavy police response that was interfering with their lucrative drug business. The gangs were encouraged to continue killing in face-to-face "walk-ups."

But the drive-by tactic was a bad habit that was hard to break for old school Latino cholo gangs. Some young unsophisticated gang members failed to take the Mexican Mafia's edicts seriously. These gangsters became human pin cushions in jail after being arrested by the cops.

The Florence 13 (F-13) gang dates back to the early '50s and dominates a wide geographic area in South Los Angeles. This major Hispanic gang had expanded from its traditional Florence District to the southeastern suburbs of Cudahy, Bell Gardens, Maywood, Bell and Huntington Park. It had become an international, or "transnational," gang that spread across the country (a restaurant in New York bears the gang name) and into Europe, and South America. Florence drug dealers sold multiple kilos and had connections to major drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. But they are also Sureños loyal to the Mexican Mafia.

In October of 1995, Florence gang members Ricardo Perez, 21, Cesar Merino, 21, and Jose Munguia, 20, drove up to a Huntington Park residence. Jose Munguia opened up on the residence with an AK-47 from the vehicle. On the front porch, 11-year-old Erica Izquierdo was swinging on a hammock with her father when she was fatally hit in the head by the AK round. Luis Lopez, 15, and Adrian Garcia, 14, were also struck by the F-13's bullets, but they survived.

Ten days later, Perez and Merino got a visit from a Mexican Mafia member. The Eme member demanded to know just who had fired the fatal shots. Unlike in the American legal system, the two gang members did not have the right to remain silent, or not to incriminate themselves. They quickly ratted out their homeboy Munguia to their demon master.

Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has to be extradited, elements of the criminal underworld could put aside political differences to wage a united battle

Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has to be extradited, elements of the criminal underworld could put aside political differences to wage a united battle against law and order.
Three senior lawmen with understanding of how local gangs operate, Wednesday said they believed such a situation was very possible. The cops requested that their names not be disclosed, as they were not authorised to speak to the Observer."We are not ruling out anything at this time," said one of the lawmen who, at the same time, warned that the police would not cower in fear in the face of any such assault.The other two cops, each with over 10 years' experience in the force, referred to the incident that occurred in 1998 when Donald 'Zeeks' Phipps, then PNP strongman from the Matthews Lane area, was first held by police, as evidence of a scenario that could be re-enacted.The cops recalled that over 1,000 angry, placard-bearing protesters converged on the Central Police Station in downtown Kingston where Zeeks was being held, shouting "Justice for Zeeks!" and demanding his release."The angry mob, some of them not PNP (People's National Party) supporters, protested for two days demanding that if Zeeks was not released, life would not return to normal," one of the senior lawmen recalled.The incident resulted in the death of one person and the injury of several others. Phipps was later brought onto a balcony where he was allowed to address his supporters, calling for calm from a police megaphone.The lawmen said they believed that the Zeeks incident would pale in comparison to what could take place in the case of 'Dudus', the Tivoli Gardens don."Right now, there is a strong belief that Tivoli Gardens is a 'stronghold' revered by gangs from all political corners," one of the senior officers suggested to the Observer.
Another member of the group shared the same view but believed that other gangs from across the island could get involved for other reasons."What you have to understand is that many of the criminals, because of 'assistance' that Tivoli may have provided for them in the past (in terms of equipment), might want to join hands and help to create diversions to draw the police attention away from the area," said the cop.National Security Minister Dwight Nelson has gone on record as saying that high-level police intelligence revealed that 268 gangs were operating throughout Jamaica.
He said Government was focusing on preparing strong anti-gang legislation that would target, infiltrate and dismantle criminal gangs.The legislation, Nelson said, would also identify and arrest members of criminal gangs; ensure long sentences for gang members; conduct a thorough historical and proactive investigation into the activities of gang members; and develop intelligence as to each member's association with and participation in gangs.

the Hells Angels and the Comanchero - as the target for the first declaration.

the Hells Angels and the Comanchero - as the target for the first declaration.
Fifteen people have been charged over the brawl, including 12 members of the Comanchero and two Hells Angels.There are believed to be about 40 Hells Angels in NSW - but it is considered the most famous international outlaw motorcycle club. The Comanchero remain a local gang, with about 100 members in NSW. It was one of the gangs involved in the Milperra massacre in 1984.Only the Supreme Court can declare a club a criminal organisation, after an application by the police commissioner, which must also be advertised publicly.After a successful declaration police can apply to stop members associating with one another, and to seize assets of the declared club.
The government announced its plan for anti-bikie laws within days of the killing of Mr Zervas at the domestic terminal after a fight between members of two rival gangs. The laws were rushed through Parliament within weeks and later had to be amended because of concerns about how they would work.On the day the laws were passed police raided 31 properties linked to the Hells Angels and its members across Sydney, targeting its ''entire membership''.

South Australia was the first state to declare a bikie gang, the Finks, a criminal organisation last May. But in September its Supreme Court ruled that the laws were invalid. That decision will be reviewed by the High Court, but the state has continued to target the Rebels.The NSW government and police are keen to avoid having their attempts to declare the gangs criminal organisations defeated in the Supreme Court, or the legislation successfully challenged in the High Court.At least 13 officers and several lawyers have been preparing the application. The process involves gathering information to prove the targeted gang is involved in criminal activities.Initially the Government was aiming for the first application to be lodged before Christmas but it is understood legal concerns caused the delay.Laws allowing police to tap the phones of alleged members of a declared bikie gang were passed in the Federal Parliament last month.The legislation was criticised by lawyers and civil libertarians, who raised concerns it might not be restricted to bikie groups.After the introduction of the legislation, Sydney's bikie gangs hired a PR agency and formed their own lobby group, the United Motorcycle Council.
The bikie violence and drive-by shootings prevalent in Sydney in late 2008 have also since abated.A police spokeswoman said last night that police could not comment on the timing of a declaration or the group for whom it might be sought.