Gangs and Organized

Inside the Mexican drug cartels – how to live rich in a poor country

// April 4th, 2013 // No Comments » // Gangs and Organized

Map of the Mexican drug cartel territory

Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed primarily for the purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations (but have expanded into other areas including arms dealing, prostitution, and human slavery). Whereas they once agreed to cooperate with each other in the production and distribution of drugs, they now war with each other on a regular basis. It is estimated that the war against and between the Mexican drug cartels has cost 70,000 lives.

Russian Business Network

// December 27th, 2012 // No Comments » // Gangs and Organized

Alleged home of the Russian Business Network (RBN)

The Russian Business Network, or RBN, has been described as “the baddest of the bad”. Based in St. Petersburg Russia, it offers web hosting services and Internet access to all kinds of criminal organizations who conduct objectionable activities such as (but not limited to) spamming, child pornography, malware, software piracy vaults, phishing, and yes, identify theft.

MS13 Gang

// December 27th, 2012 // No Comments » // Gangs and Organized

MS-13 gang graffiti

The MS-13 gang, aka Mara Salvatrucha 13, is one of the most violent, dangerous gangs in the United States – and one of the most organized. The MS-13 gang has cliques, or factions, located throughout the United States and is unique in that it retains is ties to its El Salvador counterparts. With cliques in Washington DC, Oregon, Alaska, Arkansas, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and several other South American countries, the MS-13 gang is truly “international” and on the verge of becoming the first gang to be categorized as an “organized crime” entity.

Griselda Blanco – the Miami Godmother

// December 26th, 2012 // No Comments » // Gangs and Organized

During the 1970’s and early 80’s, the illegal drug trade in Miami took a profound change, a change that directly impacted the city. As the rich “elite” of Miami spread the gospel of cocaine, the prices dropped and cocaine quickly took the lead as the drug of choice for most users in the United States. This lead to a “boom” in sales that resulted in an endless stream of money funneling into Miami. The amount of money and its impact on Miami is often underestimated. Most of Miami’s current high rise buildings are a result of that excess money as drug smugglers poured their money into legitimate businesses. One of the Miami smugglers was particular notable, not only because of the level of violence and cruelty that they produced, but because this criminal, known as the Godmother, was a women.

Human Trafficking

// December 26th, 2012 // No Comments » // Gangs and Organized

Over 140 years ago, the United States abolished slavery. Prior to that, human beings were captured from foreign countries and forcibly brought to the United Sates where they would be used as a cheap source of labor. Most often they were subsequently abused – both physically, sexually, and emotionally. The world began to recognize the atrocity of the practice and slowly, the practice was deemed illegal in country after country.

Nucky Johnson and Atlantic City

// December 25th, 2012 // No Comments » // Gangs and Organized

During the Roaring Twenties, Enoch Lewis “Nucky” Johnson was an Atlantic City, New Jersey political boss and racketeer from 1911 through 1941. His ingenious but ruthless tactics working the area bootlegging and prostitution rings along with help from some of prominent gangsters of the day, provided him unprecedented riches and made Atlantic City the pinnacle of tourist destinations. His life and times have been documented in the HBO Series, Boardwalk Empire.