Torres is one of more than 20 defendants charged with federal crimes in the operation. ), To the surprise of everyone at Youth Advocates, Alex had shown up at the Youth Advocates building off Interstate 45, far from the southwest neighborhood. Apparently when Disneyland says no selfies, they mean it - even if you're a celebrity! I want to believe that Alex has not traveled too far down a certain road to be able to retrace his steps. Authorities have identified at least six trafficking victims, the youngest of whom was 14. The bandannas, belts, crosses, and rosaries on the young men in front of some of the apartment complexes are black. Right before they left, I told my girl that we were going to get married and leave Houston and start a new life with a baby. Taiwan Is Retreating From Nuclear Energy. At What Cost? BUT THE QUESTION IS, How long can Alex keep doing it? El Bolillo, Alex says, this is my life. upenn summer research program for high school students. For me, MS was the most important thing in my life. H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping, West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The goal of the initiative is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the regions most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts, and enhancing training, public awareness and education. Suddenly nervous, I press down on the accelerator. The defendants operated several brothels in apartments throughout Houston as well as in Mexico, according to the indictment. Rarely, if ever, do all the Southwest Cholosor the entire membership of any other gang, for that matterget together for a mass meeting. Rebel Wilson says she was banned from Disneyland over a selfie. southwest cholos rivals - taocairo.com Signs & Symbols: Colors: Black bandana; SWC 13; Cartoon Cholo; 5 point star or crown; Pitchfork down; Black rosary; Long black belt; SW hand sign; Image Gallery: Southwest Cholos hand sign: Close : The Gang Threat : The Current Effort : We Need Your Help : The Threat : All are charged in varying counts to include multiple conspiracy counts; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion; transportation to engage in prostitution; enticing or coercing another to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution; transportation of illegal aliens; importation of aliens for immoral purposes; possession with the intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines; illegal dealing of firearms; felon in possession of a firearm; illegal re-entry; false statements; and aggravated identity theft. 1 of 9 The Carriage Way apartment complex, photographed one week after an FBI takedown, was home to a sex trafficking operation by the Southwest Cholos in the Gulfport section of Houston between . He apparently became an outstanding boxer (boxer is slang for street fighter)so much so, he says, that he was sent off to a juvenile detention facility at the age of eight because some boy from another apartment complex had shouted, F you, you El Salvadoran chicken, and Alex had gone after him with a metal rod. Established in 2004, the United States Attorneys office in Houston formed the HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. We had some Cholos come over here and shout, F Bissonet! SouthWest Cholos Trece Gang is on Facebook. The human smuggling charges carry a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, while those convicted in the illegal trafficking of firearms face another five years imprisonment. At the age of thirteen, he says, he stole several cars from the parking lot of the Bellaire Square apartments (a Cholos hangout) and sold them. "It is a major setback and it is like carrying a gun with no bullet. At least two other criteria such as identification by a reliable informant and corroboration by another gang member are necessary to identify a gang member, he said. Swinglesville began changing complexions in the early eighties for two reasons: A state law banned owners of apartment complexes from renting only to adults with no children, and the oil bust caused Houstons economy to collapse. Over 90% of residents have some type of Hispanic makeup, 42.8% of residents are considered some White, 1% are Asian, and there were no recorded Blacks or African Americans. 22 people indicted in Southwest Cholos violent crime cases - FOX 7 Austin - Houston adoptive father of 9 used religion, social media to mask abuse of children, prosecutors say, - Houston police warn of TikTok challenge to steal cars using USB cable. The gangbangers life, says Alex. Nine other co-defendants have pleaded guilty and another nine are awaiting trial on various sex trafficking and human smuggling charges and drug and gun violations. Some of the kids had extended family members watching over them, but, as almost always happens, those family members had their own burdens. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition. Gulfton neighborhood as part of a family-run, international sex trafficking ring. Come on, you know we need our fruits and vegetables.. The carpets are tattered, the walls need paint, and the kitchen refrigerator doesnt get cold. Critics call it a waste. Graffiti is spray-painted on the back walls of the apartment complexes, on the walls of convenience stores and taqueraseven on stop signs and the trunks of some of the crape myrtles themselves. When I met her, it was a whole different story for me. The primary location was the Carriage Way Apartment Complex on Dashwood in southwest Houston, which was also home to their base of operations for drug and firearms trafficking, according to the allegations. Most of his stories, however, are about battles with rival Cholos who, in some way, have shown disrespect (one of Alexs favorite words). In one gruesome slaying, a young woman was shot in the face by a gang member because she had called the police to report a gang shooting. So Sharpstown will likely avoid the fate of some areas that go all the way to bottom (such as nearby Fondren Southwest). Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. The primary location was the Carriage Way Apartment Complex on Dashwood in southwest Houston, which also served as home base of operations for drug and firearms trafficking, according to the allegations. I originally heard about Alex from Charles Rotramel, of Youth Advocates. I love being down with the blue, he says of the clothes he wears. Id have been dead a long time ago. Eddie Alejandro Torres, 40, admitted to conspiring to force, coerce or trick women into sex trafficking for his family . Gulfton is a community in Southwest Houston, Texas, United States that includes a 3.2 sq mi (8.3 km 2) group of apartment complexes that primarily house refugee and immigrant populations.It is located between the 610 Loop and Beltway 8, west of the City of Bellaire, southeast of Interstate 69/U.S. They were skipping school. "I know there are gangs, (but) I didn't know so much about them," he said. These gangbangers play for keeps. southwest cholos rivals . "It is alarming to hear about gangs in the prison system," she said. Southwest Chicken Tostada Salad. In this world, the gang provided them status and a sense of belonging. And late in the afternoons, on the sidewalks in front of many of the apartment complexes, small clusters of young males, most of them teenagers, can be seen standing around, seemingly doing nothing, their hands in their pockets. I put the car into gear, and Alex tells me to turn one way, then another, until we end up on a street called Dashwood. Cholo (Spanish pronunciation: ) is a loosely defined Spanish term that has had various meanings. Alvarez-Chavez also allegedly stole the identity of a Salvadoran man so he could obtain temporary protected status as a citizen of that country. And they constantly wage war with one anotherfighting, maiming, killing, and dying over their turfs, their colors, and their hand signs, which have special meanings only to them. That phrase had been marked over and replaced with MS-13 Controla!. Brown said the Texas Legislature in 1999 made it difficult for law enforcement to identify a person as a gang member. Many of them are more violent than the homegrown Mara Salvatruchans. Among the tattoos on his arms is one that reads Smile Now, Cry Later, which he says he received to commemorate the gunning down of a rival gangbanger. He doesnt seem remotely bothered that a police officer is standing beside me. A federal grand jury returned the 37-count indictment Nov. 2, 2017. announced in June 2017 which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. I cried like a baby when she was taken away from me.. Gang: Southwest Cholos . Maria Angelica Moreno-Reyna, 51, also known as Patty. HOUSTON (FOX 26) - TheU.S. Attorneys OfficeSouthern District of Texas has announced that severalalleged members and associates of the Southwest Cholos street gang are scheduled to appear in federal court on a variety of charges which include sex trafficking, drug trafficking, selling firearms, human smuggling and identity theft. The names of their pimps were tattooed on their bodies and their families were threatened with violence if they tried to flee, which several women did, only to be hauled back by the gangs enforcers. EL CHOLO - 1085 Photos & 1496 Reviews - 1121 S Western Ave, Los - Yelp Bianca Stephanie Reyna aka Troubles, 20, Claudia Soriano-Hernandez, 26, Juan Carlos Contreras Cervantes, 25, all from Houston; Raul Moreno Reyna aka Coney, 53,William Alberto Lopez, 27, Anadalit Duarte aka Paola, 25, and Walter Lopez, 26, all originally from Houston but believed to have fled to Mexico; and Israel Juarez Sifuentes, 43, and Melissa Dominguez aka Missy, 50, both of Donna; are considered fugitives and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests. Some gangs lasted, some did not. Blaring out of a boom box is a rap song that sounds like gunfire. He drove ABC13 to another piece of private property at Dora and Mckaskle, also defaced in a tagging battle. southwest cholos rivals aqua backflow test forms They deal drugs on street corners. The following nine other peoplewere charged but are not yet in custody: Reyna, William Alberto Lopez,Anadalit Duarte and Walter Lopez are Houston residents believed to be in Mexico. They were groomed at a family-run brothel in Cancn and smuggled into Houston to be trafficked as prostitutes at the Gulfton brothels, according to court documents. It never, ever stops.. For years, southwest Houston gangbangers, regardless of what gang they belong to, have been buying their clothes at the very same stores. Gulfton, Houston - Wikipedia Now what? asks Julian, his eyes gleaming. I was the smallest little fer for my age in the hood, he says. What if Alex had stuck his hands out the window and made his gang sign?. 1000 Louisiana, Ste. Houston man pleads guilty to role in Gulfton sex trafficking ring If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Although he is just five feet three inches tall and 138 pounds, with thick, curly black hair, a little goatee covering his chin, and soft eyes the color of chocolate, people keep their distance from him. Southwest Cholos is still the largest gang in the Houston area, but a new prison gang called Houstone Tango Blast is causing concern among law enforcement agencies, Houston Police Department officer David DeTorres told those attending the Braeburn Civic Positive Interaction Program Nov. 21 at HPD's Braeburn storefront, 10101 Fondren, Suite 100. athlon sports college football magazine 2022 release date A federal grand jury returned the 37-count indictment on Thursday, Nov. 2, whichwas partially unsealed on Wednesday following a motion in federal court. The girls were branded "like cattle" with their pimps' names, and their families were threatened if they attempted to flee, according to a description given in a previous hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Goldman. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Texas A&M upset win clears path for UH to snag top overall seed, Turner: TEA is giving Houston ISD two optionsclose school or be taken over, Two ocelots were photographed crossing a road in rare South Texas sighting, Houston Rockets poised to reap benefits from Eric Gordon trade, Willie Nelson's new album is a lovely tribute to a fellow country legend, Why Johnson City in Texas Hill Country is the new, cooler Fredericksburg, Hiker captures 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo of wildlife at Brazos Bend State Park. Youre a homito. A homeboy. Each one operates independently, and just like the Southwest Cholos, there are various cliques within each citys gang. Then what, Alex? asks Julian, one of the homeboys. And if you want to hit me, you better think twice, because Im going to fight dirty. When I ask to see their tattoos, they pull off their T-shirts. All I have to do is show them some blue, and it all starts going down, says Alex, who has a blue bandanna sticking out of his back pocket and who is also wearing a long blue belt and a blue rosary. This group has been thought to be responsible for at least 10 murders in two months, he said. The names of their pimps were tattooed on their bodies and their families were threatened with violence if they tried to flee, which several women did, only to be hauled back by the gangs enforcers. The crazy life. Tortilla Soup (1991) . A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. The complexes were given such sophisticated names as Chateaux Carmel, Napoleon Square, Villa Royal, Sterling Point, and the Turf Club. Julian is only thirteen years old. They both have la vida loca tattoos on the tops of their hands. Thats bullshit. According to the indictment, the defendants operated several brothels in apartments throughout Houston as well as in Mexico. southwest cholos rivals - digimindtechnologies.com I lived for the gang, and I was going to die for the gang.. Whats more, in the same way that the fraternities on fraternity row stay out of one anothers way, the gangs of the southwest apartment complexes usually maintain an uneasy truce, abiding by certain codes of conduct. El Cholo is located at 1121 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006, USA. Fing Cholos. He then tells me hes moving from one apartment to another, just in case. In front of other complexes, the color is white. The young singles who lost their jobs moved away, and there were no new groups of young singles arriving to replace them. Ran down an alley and was gone.. A veterano with MS-13 has watched Romeo and Juliet, I say quietly. southwest cholos rivals Rents plummeted, and poorer families began moving in. And on his left wrist is a small tattoo consisting only of three dots in a triangular formation: the symbol of la vida loca. When I ask him what he does for money when hes in a tight spot, he gives me one of his smiles and says, Oh, dont worry. During one of my trips in September to the neighborhood, I began hearing rumors that some of the Cholos had put out a hit on Alex. There were only a couple of parks that I dont even think had playgrounds. The indictment alleges at least nine aliens have been identified as being smuggled through stash houses some of the defendants controlled in the Rio Grande Valley to locations in Houston. You see them? He looks over at me leaning against a bare wall, taking notes. A Houston man believed to be affiliated with the Southwest Cholos pleaded guilty Tuesday to running security operations at several brothels in . January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Other teenagers and young men started chapters of gangs, like Brown and Proud, that already existed in low-income neighborhoods in other parts of the city, and even others started chapters of gangs, like the Latin Kings, that their fathers had belonged to when they were kids. F you, you punk! another Cholo had shouted. But the fing putos didnt see my knife, says Alex, El Rata. george kovach cilka. Sometimes the color of the tennis shoes is the same. It provided them everything they could not find anywhere else., IN MANY WAYS, Alex is the classic gangbanger case study. In fact, starting around 1999 or 2000, there was a sharp upturn in . Their 13 sur 13 lrz 13 . Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? The owners had planted crape myrtles by the front gates and offered free VCRs to renters who signed year-long leases. 60% of gang members will be dead or in prison by age 20. Immediately the customers stop talking. Critics call it a waste. They are good-looking kids, thin as reeds, with short dark hair and unblemished faces. I threw down. Theres a tag on my head, yeah, but theres always been a tag on my head, he says when I see him. F yeah, they know me, fool. His face and body are bruised. We are in a neighborhood that is just a ten-minute drive south of the Galleria shopping mall, one of Houstons most famous landmarks. What did you do, Alex? Julian asks again. You know youre supposed to show your mothers respect.. SouthWest Cholos Trece Gang - facebook.com Today the crape myrtles continue to bloom, but there are no more free VCRsand no disco. Fernandos working at a shirt embroidery shop in the neighborhood, making $6.50 an hour., After dropping out of high school, Alex had also worked at that shop, and hes also worked for his uncles roofing company, making $10 an hour. Around their waists are cloth belts, the ends so long they reach down to their knees, and hanging around their necks are crosses or rosaries. May 13, 2022 Updated: May 13, 2022 2:26 p.m. 2. You can login using your social profile. The smuggled aliens paid substantial sums, including two Chinese nationals who each paid more than $40,000, according to the charges. They buy their bandannas at a dollar store in the neighborhood, and they buy their cloth belts from a flea market at the intersection of Highway 59 and Westpark. brunswick maine high school football roster . He was clicked in to the gang a couple of months earlier, and he worships Alex. If convicted, he faces a mandatory two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. No, El Bolillo, says Alex. He and other gang members, he says, broke into a Wal-Mart in a failed attempt to get into the cash registers to get money to pay for a fellow homeboys bail. Yeah, coming out of a convenience store off of Rampart. What do you mean, Now what? They come back at us. Every week, I hear about a stabbing or a shooting or a drive-by that doesnt make the newspapers. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. But when disputes arise, gangs dont go to some sort of council the way fraternities do. The indictment further alleges the defendants would tattoo their names or nicknames on the victims to identify them as their property and demonstrate control over them. He borrowed, or perhaps stole (I was never able to get the truth out of him), a car and took her to an Olive Garden south of Houston near the Johnson Space Centerthe one place where I knew I wouldnt find any gangsters. He went to Jewelry Dog USA at the Sharpstown Center and bought her a fourteen-karat gold necklace with a medallion that read LOVE. She, in turn, went to Jewelry Dog USA and bought him a grilla metallic mouthpiece, popular among rappers, that had MS-13 written across the front plate. For one longtime member, each day comes down to two simple questions: Will I have to kill? Twenty-two defendants face federal charges in the ring agents say brought undocumented womenincluding a 14-year-old girl--across the border and forced them to work as prostitutes. 11.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or . Regardless of the numbers, it is clear that gangs are just as responsible for Houstons soaring crime ratesthe city is on its way to recording four hundred murders in 2006, its highest number in more than a decadeas the Katrina evacuees who have received so much media attention. But Alex says, I did what I had to do for the gang, my homito. Stop Houston Gangs - Report Gang Crime Tips & Violence - Texas Gangs Lets see the sights. He gives me a look, his eyebrows rising, and he starts laughing again. Official websites use .gov Photographed Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Houston. The case is also an exampleof the coordination among law enforcement who are part ofthe Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiativeannounced in June 2017 which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. Gabrielle Banks , who covers federal courts for the Houston Chronicle, reports that there are actually more brothels in Houston than Starbucks locations. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI Houston field office at 713-693-5000. If convicted, he faces a mandatory two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. Deputy Mike Ochoa says that SWC is the Southwest Cholo's gang. Fax Line: 713-718-3300. Tattooed on his stomach is part of the flag of El Salvador, and on his back is a three-inch-high MS-13: the M just below his left shoulder, the S just below his right shoulder, and the 13 in the middle. Have a question about Government Services? We pass the three Cholosthey are on the right side of the car, not far from Alexs windowand he stares at them with a surly, challenging expression: Mad dogging, or murder mugging, is the term that the gangbangers use to describe such a look. It was partially unsealed today following a motion in federal court. On the main boulevards, the exteriors of many of the apartment complexes are kept in good condition. The decisions about the cliques activities are loosely made by the cliques OGs. There is, for instance, no single leader or command structure within the Southwest Cholos, despite the fact that the gang operates mostly out of southwest Houston. The goal of the initiative is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the regions most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts, and enhancing training, public awareness and education. If convicted of sex trafficking, the defendants face a minimum of 15 years and up to life imprisonment. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. He was born in 1985, shortly after his parents moved to Houston from El Salvador and ended up in one of the southwest apartment complexes. Ron Meinke of the West Belfort Property Owners Association said the presentation on gangs was "fabulous.". According to Houston police, they are vicious, tattooed career criminals, their lives devoted to razors, knives, and guns. Bloods is a gang that has been subdivided into different sets. FUCK ME NOW. Barbara Hite, chair of the Braeburn PIP program, said officer DeTorres "shared a great deal of information we may not know about gangs, like tattoos, colors and so on.". Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover. A group of males formed a gang called the Dark Angels and then renamed themselves the Southwest Cholos. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS In the mid-nineties the Southwest Cholos and the Mara Salvatruchans actually had an alliance. The indictment also alleges several counts of heroin and methamphetamine trafficking and the selling of numerous stolen firearms. Self-admission by a gang member is not sufficient to include their name in the database, Brown said. After arriving in Houston, however, victims were told they actually had to work as prostitutes in brothels the alleged gang members controlled. When I walk in, he is hanging with three of his homeboys. The hedges by the managers offices are trimmed, and the bulbs in the streetlights by the front gates are quickly replaced whenever they get shot out. This group has been thought to be responsible for at least 10 murders in two months . Source: Los Angeles Police Dept. All I do is talk blue. Gang graffiti has law enforcement on alert in Fort Bend County Because of the new criteria, nearly 50 percent of the database had to be erased and a new one had to be built from scratch," Brown said. Theres a fresh scar across one of the tattoos on his left arm. Bianca Stephanie Reyna aka Troubles, 20, Claudia Soriano-Hernandez, 26, Juan Carlos Contreras Cervantes, 25, The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Harris County Sheriffs Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, Houston Police Department, Texas Anti-Gang Center and ICEs Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation as part of both the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Alex isnt looking good. At the Sharpstown Center, a nearby mall that has a notice on the front door that reads Weapons Not Permitted on Premises, they buy what they call Gangster Nikes: black or colored Nikes with white stripes.