Posted on April 21, 2014

Report: More Than 100,000 Gang Members in Texas

Caroline May, Daily Caller, April 18, 2014

Current gang membership in the state of Texas may exceed 100,000 individuals, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

In a lengthy examination of gang activity in the state DPS officials revealed that they believe the number of gang members may exceed 100,000 people, participating in more than 4,600 identified gangs in the state.

“This estimate is consistent with available information on gang membership nationally and within Texas. The National Gang Intelligence Center, for example, estimated in 2011 that there are 1.4 million gang members nationwide–a 40-percent increase from 2009,” the report, released Thursday, reads.

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“Texas-based gangs, gang members, and their associates are active in both human smuggling and human trafficking, which often includes sex trafficking and compelling prostitution of adult and minor victims,” the report reads. {snip}

The most dangerous gangs, according to DPS, are Tango Blast and Tango Cliques, which officials estimate have more than 8,200 members. Officials also point to Texas Syndicate with more than 4,400 members, the Texas Mexican Mafia with more than 5,500 members, and Barrio Azteca with more than 2,000 members as the other most dangerous gangs.

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