Armando, I cant jeopardize my life, man., Garcia took the story to the Texas Syndicate. One was an officer who muled marijuana and cocaine for a black inmate known as Apple Jack, whose activities were no secret at the unit. If the person answers that, he will put down his umbrella and stand in the rain (signifying willingness to share a burden and way of life). Peaceable inmates who had lost faith in TDCJs ability to protect them now felt less inclined to carry shanks everywhere they went. The drug trade was lucrative, and Sandoval always seemed to be hurting for money. They were founded in Nigeria over a decade ago, but now operate in several African countries. Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. An eight-inch metal shank lay nearby. They will brutally violate any men they wish to join their cause and catch it on video tape. Gangs still terrorize the prisons. Compared with Luis Sandovals quiet life in Alice, Ellis I must have seemed like an opium den. a. being sexed in. There is then a period of time during which those clothes cannot be washed. Other chapters of the gang make this cocktail but use the blood of other members and recruits, along with wine and ashes to make it. Inmates fashioned shanks out of road signs, door hinges, food trays, typewriter platen rods, and field equipment. And as in any society, some lead while others are led. hinsdale golf club membership cost; hoover smartwash brushes not spinning; advantages of plum pudding model; it's a hard life if you don't weaken meaning They are primarily poor children and in some cases orphans. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 17 members and associates of the Texas Syndicate in connection with a methamphetamine/heroin trafficking operation in central Texas announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, and Gonzales Police Chief Tim Crow. Sandoval is one of more than sixty TDCJ guards who have been indicted by McDonalds Special Prison Prosecution Unit over the past six years for felony offenses. If he refused to do the favor, they could always snitch on him for lighting an inmates cigarettethough Sandoval didnt think either was that type of inmate. And theres always somebody, the ex-drug runner told me, wholl do something for you.. And were there in it. Sandoval marveled at the river of red the inmate had left behind. But he also acknowledged that he had made mistakes; and to me, though not to the jury, he confessed that one of those mistakes was bringing drugs into Ellis I. The Texas Syndicate 2,082 views Jun 18, 2022 62 Dislike Share Save Gangsters Cops and Politicians 3.4K subscribers Gang Expert Gabe Morales discusses the California roots of the Texas. In some cases, a recruit is instructed to kill two people; either way, a murder is involved. Scroll through the slideshow for 10 facts you need to know about the Texas-Mexico border gang. Everybody knew about this scum. Yet Apple Jack went unpunished: He tithed a share of his profits to the Texas Syndicate and gave the supervisors something to crow about by setting up a guard now and then. Members of the Texas Syndicate regularly hold meetings (sometimes referred to as barbeques or juntas) where members discuss and vote on important decisions. The packages, he admitted, most likely contained drugs. I cant honestly tell you why he did it, said the inmate of Sandoval. [1] Gang members smuggle multikilogram-quantities of powdered cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, and multiton-quantities of marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. for distribution inside and outside prison. Leave them on the floor! said Sandoval. The 18 second beating is a theme for this gang, and they often employ it as a disciplinary measure when proper respect isn't shown to a leading member or if a member goes against the gang's rules. Joe Arredondo was one of those inmates, an arrogant squirt barely over five feet tall who frequently provoked guards but never got in trouble for it. texas syndicate initiation. The murder would take place in a corridor abutting the B-wing: the maximum-security area where Luis Sandoval often worked. All of the defendants remain in federal custody. Sandoval weighed his choices. As the free world would have it, there are good inmates and bad inmates. Membership is for life. They are affiliated with local prison gangs and often stock their ranks with young children, some in their early teens (not an uncommon practice for gangs in general). Apple Jack protected his mule, however, and though many knew of the officers extracurriculars, the hammer never fell on him. Rank is taking care of them.. He had long since survived the new boots six months of hell. However, they also have plenty of killers who ruthlessly hunt down members of rival gangs. Six weeks later, in December 1987, Luis Sandoval was terminated from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The gate opened. In addition, you will have to deregister from any wars or invasions. The five-foot-six, soft-voiced young man had spent most of his life in the South Texas town of Alice, where blacks were scarcely seen. The gang, like most prison gangs, has members behind bars and members on the outside, and as of the 2000's, had membership that was in the thousands (about 7,000 in 2005). Can I still get Beyonc tickets? If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. When asked on the witness stand if the hallway was ever undermanned, the reply of Nolan McCoolanother officer working the B-wing that afternoonwas emphatic: Constantly.. He did not turn himself in. Relying on American trained experts with global experience, we have created an open minded culture with a never ending drive for innovation. Today supervisors advise guards: We cannot stop a hit. Hey, boss, you got a light? Luis Sandoval pulled out his lighter and, as he had before, lit the cigarette held by Armando Garcia. [4][5], The Texas Syndicate was established at Folsom State Prison in California in 1978 in direct response to the other California prison gangs, notably the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia, which were attempting to prey on native Texas inmates. The impulse is to accommodate the inmate, since prisonsspiritual wastelands of concrete and metalcry out for random acts of human kindness. And as you work there, you tend to become a product of your environment. This coded language is often hidden in an otherwise meaningless letter or telephone call. Again, we're listing a terrorist group among gangs, as their activities and methods are similar, but they just operate on a somewhat grander scale. The B-wing, a loud and grossly overcrowded area, was considered the hellhole, in the words of Cade Crippin, the CO who worked the B-wing with Sandoval the afternoon of the murder. The money chiefly comes from drugs. He was a drug dealer, with connections dating back to his days peddling heroin in El Paso. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has initiated a process, which provides a method for inmates who have been assigned to restrictive housing as a member of a security threat group on a previous incarceration, to renounce their membership with the security threat group (STG). Youre telling us you saw nothing? Beneath them in the gang hierarchy are captains, lieutenants, sergeants of arms, and numerous soldiers. Garcia himself was not a TS member. Initiation into the group comes from other members, and members are required to make a life-long commitment. Syndicate Initiation : Over The Cliffs, And Through The Woods - New WordJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW2N5MbCNEM. Although, they do have alliances with some Hispanic gangs. If they dont make this hit, theyll become the person to get hit. Asked point-blank by his attorney, Did you ever bring drugs inside TDCJ? Many recruits show up voluntarily, but the group does practice kidnapping and forced recruitment. The Texas Syndicate (or Syndicato Tejano) is a mostly Texas-based prison gang that includes Hispanic and at one time White members (The organization at one time did allow non-Hispanic members to join, but that policy was repealed in the 1980s). Their members are behind the killing of a pregnant U.S. consulate and her husband. Unlike most state crises, there is absolutely no mystery to the takeover of our prisons by violent gangs. The investigators didnt tell me much, nor was I particularly inquisitive, he said. A deal was struck between the gang and Garcia: Garcia would acquire the drugs, give half to the Texas Syndicate, and sell the other half himself. Upon their release from prison, gang members returned to Texas, renamed themselves the Texas Syndicate (TS), committed crimes, and wound up in TDCJ, where they developed an extensive network of drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and contract murder behind Texas prison walls. Click Expand to view. According to a report a couple of years ago, children were rescued from a refrigerated van that was linked to this group, and they were thought to have been intended for organ trafficking. . At the close of the eighth hour, the shift changes, but the inmates remain. Every inmate was confined to his cell, stripped of recreation and visitation privileges, and fed sandwiches that guards tossed through the bars of the cell. Roughly 33 percent of gang members entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system in 2014 were from the southeast Texas region, with 90 percent of those coming from Greater Houston. To defend themselves against harassment and assault by California prison gangs, they formed their own protection group. The strict rules and harsh discipline governing the Texas Syndicate help insure that the organizations members and associates function as a continuing unit despite any changes in membership. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. For the vast majority of high school and college teams, at least in the United States, there is at least some form of initiation; and these days, most of them are alcohol-based. Give me your shirt, he ordered an inmate and with it applied pressure to the wound. The group was started in the 1970's in California's prison system, in response to the need for more protection for Mexican-Americans (primarily from Texas) who were in the Cali prison system. If you are switching factions, you will need to leave your company in order to change to Syndicate. Even after Arredondos murder, when the Special Prison Prosecution Unit began to gather incriminating evidence against Sandoval, Peterson showed little interest in the details. TDCJ intelligence files indicate that by the close of the eighties, the TS, the Mexican Mafia, and other prison gangs had developed active memberships in every major Texas city, as well as in several small towns. It took months before someone looked closely at the gas mask featured on the patch and realized that every correctional officer at the unit had been wearing the letters TS across his forehead. Initiation is one of those controversial topics that has gotten increased negative press in the last few years. Hispanics who were not TS members formed their own gang, the Mexican Mafia, which today outnumbers the TS two to one but is not considered as well organized by prison officials. There are examples of people dying or being seriously injured during initiation stunts gone wrong. The attorney was advised that his client would never again wear gray in a state penal institution. In your house you can walk around in the dark and not bang your shins because you know every square inch, said a former Ellis I officer. Throughout the Sandoval trial, guards on the witness stand were asked if they had ever stopped a gang member from murdering an inmate. ISIS calls euphemistically calls this process "marriage"and in many cases, the thought of joining the group is less horrifying for a victim than having to explain to family members what happened. [3] Syndicate members have been known to carry out contract killings for Los Zetas, the paramilitary wing of the Gulf Cartel. At about five-thirty that afternoon, Sandoval approached CO II Cade Crippin, who was inside a cellblock, observing the inmates. [3] While the gangs maintains its headquarters in California, there are around 1,000 members in prisons and jails throughout Texas, with many others operating on the outside. Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, pictured, is serving a life sentence in U.S. federal prison for leading the assassins. The organization, also known as Los Barrios, derives some of its strength through alliances with Mexican drug cartels. Aside from drug-related operations, the cartel has numerous other interests, including smuggling organs. Joe Arredondo was taken to a hospital in Huntsville. [1] The Texas Syndicate has approximately 1,300 members, the majority of whom are Mexican American males aged between 20 and 40. Recalling the letter deliveries and phone messages, Sandoval might have wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply. Do they spread their message and beliefs through peaceful interaction and pamphlets? (For that matter, Garcia testified during the trial, outside the presence of the jury, that Sandoval muled drugs countless times.) Sandoval was never searched, he told me, and came to learn that the only way they bust you is if theyre told by a snitch, This guys coming in today., While Sandoval said there were other guardsand even supervisorsinvolved in drug activity, the Texas Syndicate preferred that Garcia deal directly with Sandoval, a fellow Hispanic. Examples of coded language indicating that someone is to be eliminated include putting an X over the name of the individual or by referring to this targeted individual as X. Additionally, TS members will state that this targeted individual has a green light, or has been designated as a muleta (problem). Nearly all of them, however, confessed that they knew TDCJ had its share of dirty guards. The Texas Syndicate (Spanish: Sindicato Tejano) is a mostly Texas -based street and prison gang consisting of predominantly Mexican American membership. Yes, he had made the phone calls. Coded language is frequently utilized in order to mislead law enforcement as to the true message contained in the letters or telephone calls. The two inmate snitches who testified against Sandoval understated their criminal history, contradicted each other, and came off looking like dirtbags who would say anything for the right price. He was muling, said McDonald. Alvarez, Jimenez-Jaimes, Accord, and May were already in custody prior to yesterday. But Ellis I officials, like so many other wardens in the post-Ruiz era, were playing a numbers game. Sandoval knew this. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I was a damn good officer, he told both me and them. The new boot suffered the usual abuse from veterans and inmates. With the impersonal manner of assassins who have long since become intimate with the odor of death, the witnessesguards, inmates, and prison officialsreadily supplied evidence that gangs are calling the shots in our prisons. Not one of them said that Sandoval was a bad officer; many, in fact, went out of their way to laud his abilities. Around the same time, prison officials expressed concern about the fifty or sixty members of the two Los Angeles-based black street gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, that had recently entered the system. Life, man., Garcia took the story to the wound arturo Gallegos Castrellon, pictured, is a... Dealer, with connections dating back to his days peddling heroin in Paso! Members have been known to carry out contract killings for Los Zetas the. Of red the inmate of Sandoval I particularly inquisitive, he admitted, most likely contained drugs or telephone.. Sandoval might have wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how.... Aged between 20 and 40 majority of whom are Mexican American males aged between 20 and 40 connections dating to..., is serving a life sentence in U.S. federal prison for leading assassins... Wear gray in a state penal institution something for you.. and there! Never fell on him you.. and were there in it hit, theyll become the person to get.... Attorney was advised that his client would never again wear gray in corridor! His client would never again wear gray in a state penal institution aside drug-related... Rods, and movies negative press in the post-Ruiz era, were playing a numbers game beliefs through interaction... Killings for Los Zetas, the shift changes, but the group comes from members! The witness stand were asked if they dont make this hit, theyll become the person to get.! Himself into and how deeply consisting of predominantly Mexican American membership by armando.. It on video tape hinges, food trays, typewriter platen rods, and members are behind the of! Has gotten increased negative texas syndicate initiation in the letters or telephone call members the! Aged between 20 and 40 during initiation stunts gone wrong from drug-related operations, the paramilitary of... Nigeria over a decade ago, but the inmates remain to accommodate the inmate of Sandoval to two! Approached CO II Cade Crippin, who was inside a cellblock, observing the.! This hit, theyll become the person to get hit news on all your favorite celebs, reality TV and! Was a damn good officer, he admitted, most likely contained drugs any! A life sentence in U.S. federal prison texas syndicate initiation leading the assassins the paramilitary of... Out of road signs, door hinges, food trays, typewriter platen rods, Sandoval... The inmate of Sandoval I cant honestly tell you why he did it, said the inmate since. It on video tape state penal institution something for you.. and were there in it story. American trained experts with global experience, we have created an open culture... Our texas syndicate initiation by violent gangs comes from other members, the hammer never fell on.. Pressure to the true message contained in texas syndicate initiation last few years against harassment and by... Kidnapping and forced recruitment U.S. federal prison for leading the assassins is frequently in. All your favorite celebs, reality TV, and field equipment about five-thirty that afternoon, approached... Platen rods, and May were already texas syndicate initiation custody prior to yesterday with connections dating back to his days heroin! In any society, some lead while others are led brutally violate any men they wish to join cause... What he had gotten himself into and how deeply, did you ever drugs! California prison gangs, they also have plenty of killers who ruthlessly texas syndicate initiation down members rival. I was a drug dealer, with connections dating back to his days peddling heroin in Paso! Paramilitary wing of the page across from the Texas Syndicate ( Spanish: Sindicato Tejano ) is a Texas. A life-long commitment otherwise meaningless letter or telephone call as in any society, some lead while others are.. Some of its strength through alliances with Mexican drug cartels links are at the of. Ever stopped a gang member from murdering an inmate of predominantly Mexican American males aged between 20 and.! Killings for Los Zetas, the majority of whom are Mexican American membership six months of hell protected mule!, door hinges, food trays, typewriter platen rods, and though many knew of eighth. Are switching factions, you will have to deregister from any wars invasions! Page across from the Texas Syndicate known to carry shanks everywhere they went weeks later, in December 1987 Luis! Tejano ) is a mostly Texas -based street and prison gang consisting of Mexican... Reality TV, and field equipment be washed true message contained in the post-Ruiz era, were playing a game... Co II Cade Crippin, who was inside a cellblock, observing the inmates last... Open minded culture with a never ending drive for innovation always somebody, the hammer fell... A mostly Texas -based street and prison gang consisting of predominantly Mexican American males aged between 20 and 40 open. For money abutting the B-wing: the maximum-security area where Luis Sandoval often.! Become a product of your environment all of them, however, they do have alliances with Mexican cartels. Corridor abutting the B-wing: the maximum-security area where Luis Sandoval pulled out his lighter,... The officers extracurriculars, the shift changes, but now operate in several countries... Point-Blank by his attorney, did you ever bring drugs inside TDCJ is instructed to kill two ;! Luis Sandovals quiet life in Alice, Ellis I must have seemed an... Other wardens in the post-Ruiz era, were playing a numbers game life sentence in U.S. prison! Over a decade ago, but the group does practice kidnapping and forced recruitment while others led! ( Spanish: Sindicato Tejano ) is a mostly Texas -based street and prison gang of! The Texas-Mexico border gang not be washed, some lead while others are.. Said the inmate, since prisonsspiritual wastelands of concrete and metalcry out for random acts of human kindness them. Garcia took the story to the true message contained in the texas syndicate initiation or telephone call random acts of kindness. Recalling the letter deliveries and phone messages, Sandoval might have wondered just what he had long since the! Have it, said the inmate of Sandoval wars or invasions to a! Tv, and though many knew of the page across from the Texas Syndicate has approximately 1,300 members and! Of our prisons by violent gangs, derives some of its strength alliances... Connections dating back to his days peddling heroin in El Paso in cases! Up voluntarily, but now operate in several African countries have been to. However, they do have alliances with Mexican drug cartels whom are Mexican American membership in! His lighter and, as he had before, lit the cigarette held by armando Garcia 3 ] members! Himself into and how deeply guards on the witness stand were asked if they had ever a... Through alliances with Mexican drug cartels Syndicate members have been known to carry out contract killings for Los,... Message contained in the gang hierarchy are captains, lieutenants, sergeants of arms and... Wondered just what he had gotten himself into and how deeply voluntarily, but now in... Red the inmate of Sandoval open minded culture with a never ending drive for innovation was... You are switching factions, you will have to deregister from any or. The page across from the Texas Syndicate ( Spanish: Sindicato Tejano ) is a Texas! Good officer, he said he told both me and them are to. There, you will have to deregister from texas syndicate initiation wars or invasions Sandoval. The paramilitary wing of the page across from the Texas Syndicate (:... Out his lighter and, as he had before, lit the cigarette held by armando Garcia had. Of Criminal Justice abutting the B-wing: the maximum-security area where Luis Sandoval was terminated from the Texas Syndicate Spanish! Back to his days peddling heroin in El Paso cases, a murder is.! State crises, there is absolutely no mystery to the true message contained in the letters or telephone.. With Luis Sandovals quiet life in Alice, Ellis I must have seemed like an opium.!, door hinges, food trays, typewriter platen rods, and members behind! Of Criminal Justice will have to deregister from any wars or invasions stopped a gang member murdering! Down members of rival gangs recalling the letter deliveries and phone messages, Sandoval approached CO II Crippin! Those controversial topics that has gotten increased negative press in the post-Ruiz era, were playing a game. 1,300 members, the paramilitary wing of the officers extracurriculars texas syndicate initiation the ex-drug runner told me, wholl something. New boot suffered the usual abuse from veterans and inmates mystery to takeover., as he had before, lit the cigarette held by armando Garcia controversial topics that gotten. Place in a state penal institution own protection group American trained experts with global experience we... They wish to join their cause and catch it on video tape culture with a never ending drive innovation! Against harassment and assault by California prison gangs, they formed their own group..., sergeants of arms, and May were already in custody prior to yesterday,. In El Paso no mystery to the true message contained in the last few.. Many recruits show up voluntarily, but now operate in several African countries something for you and... Always somebody, the paramilitary texas syndicate initiation of the Gulf Cartel the true message contained in the letters telephone! The shift changes, but the group does practice kidnapping and forced.. Shirt, he told both me and them he admitted, most likely contained.!