Trafficking, extortion, violence, and murder; running a gang is a messy business.
Though some organizations might have been humanized, even glamorized in film and TV,
make no mistake about it: organized crime is a brutal and deadly field of work. All
over the world, there are a handful of criminal organizations that have extended their power and
reach to levels of infamy. Some you may have heard of; some keep their operations better hidden,
or are only really well-known in their corner of the world. We sent our terrified
investigators out in the field to tell us: who are the deadliest gangs in the world?
[SINALOA CARTEL]
Let’s start with an organization that seemingly can’t keep themselves out of the news;
the Sinaloa Cartel. The most powerful gang in Mexico,
and at this point world-famous for its drug trafficking activities, the Sinaloa
Cartel has unfortunately made some parts of beautiful Mexico almost unlivable for locals.
Their leader, nicknamed El Chapo - real name, Joaquin Guzman Loera - has profited so much
off of the violence that Forbes included him on a list of the most powerful people in the world.
Loera ran Sinaloa with an iron fist, and was so well-connected and powerful,
corrupting so many of the countries’ politicians,
judges, and policemen, that he managed to escape high-security prisons twice.
In fact, the Sinaloa Cartel is so unafraid of legal repercussions,
that they post videos of their murders online to serve as warnings to rivals. The cartel has
been directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people - at least.
Just one turf war with Juarez Cartel, over control of Ciudad Juarez trafficking routes,
resulted in the deaths of 5,000 to 12,000 people.
Many people seem to think Mexican cartels operate mainly between the US and Mexico.
Even though the Sinaloa Cartel has [emphasis] allegedly permeated both the US and Mexican
federal governments, their reach is much more global. Currently, the Sinaloa Cartel has a 60%
stake in the US-Mexican drug trade, profits of about $3 billion per year,
and markets ranging from next door neighbors to Russia and Australia.
[SOLNTSEVSKAYA BRATVA]
If a gang is feared by Russians, you know it has to be one of the world’s deadliest.
This is the case with Solntsevskaya Bratva. Named for the Solntsevo District
in Moscow in which it was founded in the 1980s by Sergei Mikhailov,
this gang started as a rough and tumble street gang. They recruited local, unemployed,
aggressive young men as foot soldiers and got their start in not-so-legal car import businesses.
However, during the 90s, Solntsevskaya Bratva moved on up into banking. This enabled them
to both launder money more efficiently and get closer to the new class of Russian oligarchs.
Some people allege that the gang is now protected by Russia’s intelligence agency, the FSB.
We would never make such allegations of course;
we’re just reporting on the rumors heard around Moscow and in the Wikileaks scandal.
Currently, they are estimated to rake in up to $8.5 billion a year from their several,
apparently rather profitable, ventures. The - [pause] once again,
alleged [pause] - protection of FSB allows Solntsevskaya Bratva to operate
pretty easily and discreetly without much interference from law enforcement.
[MS-13 -MARA SALVATRUCHA]
No list of deadly gangs would be complete without MS-13; full name, Mara Salvatrucha.
Founded by Salvadorians in California in the 1980s, MS-13 operates in the US and El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Honduras. They have approximately 50,000 to 70,000 members,
with an estimated 10,000 of them in the US.
MS-13 is by no means an enormous gang, especially in the US. The Justice Department estimates that
they account for less than 1% of all US gang members. They also don’t control a significant
part of the drug trade. Unfortunately, they are particularly well-known for
their extreme violence, which frequently gets them placed in nationwide headlines.
However, those who intensely study and report on MS-13,
including Hannah Dreier from “The Washington Post”, emphasize that
the public wildly misunderstands the group’s reach, targets, and ambitions.
Unlike other organized crime families whose bosses dress in $5,000 suits,
many MS-13 members work minimum wage jobs in the daytime, which is why they mostly
meet at night. They are not raking in profits from drugs, nor are they planning high-stakes
international power plays. In fact, most are teenagers, or at most in their early 20s.
That being said, they can be shockingly violent and brutal within their local
communities. They also mostly tend to target other Latino immigrants,
especially undocumented workers who don’t feel they can report to the police.
Why the name? “Mara” means gang, “Salva” references their Salvadorean origins,
and “trucha” is slang for “savviness”.
[COSA NOSTRA]
Next up is Cosa Nostra - aka, the Italian Mafia.
This is probably the first gang most people in the US hear of growing up,
especially if those people are Scorsese fans. If you’ve seen Robert DeNiro in anything,
you may think you have a good idea of how Cosa Nostra, which translates to “our thing”, works.
The earliest records of a “mafia” in Sicily were the Gabellotto, businessmen who leased farmland
from aristocrats then hired protection for the land and kept strict control over the farmers-
sound familiar?. Eventually, they took over the land entirely, and used violence
and fear to forcibly extract protection money from the farmers under their thumb.
Perhaps the biggest power move the mafia made was understanding that
having a foothold in government and alliances with politicians
would help them grow exponentially. During the Unification of Italy in 1861,
the Italian government actually relied on the mafiosi to control the Sicilian government.
During Mussolini’s fascist rule, eliminating the mafia, seemingly as violently as possible, was
made a priority. Many mafiosi were either killed in the 1920s or escaped to the United States.
Us intelligence agencies ended up guaranteeing Cosa Nostra bosses like Vito Genovese and Lucky
Luciano their freedom in exchange for their help in liberating Italy from fascist rule.
These days, Cosa Nostra still includes several families, including the five prominent US
families: Genovese, Bonanno, Gambino, Colombo, Lucchese. Some are allied and some are at war
with each other. The mob retains around 25,000 members and 250,000 “associates” around the world.
They mostly deal in extortion, racketeering, gambling, smuggling and sale of illegal goods,
and, let’s just say, “settling” some disputes by making sure one side is never heard from again.
[MUNGIKI]
Though the Mungiki may not be as well-known as Mexican cartels or Cosa Nostra, they are a force
to be reckoned with in Kenya. They have at least 100,000 members, though no one is sure of their
exact numbers, and conduct multi-million dollar rackets in the slums of Nairobi.
They can also be incredibly brutal, executing and displaying the heads of those who betray them.
The machete-wielding Mungiki, whose name means “multitude”,
are mostly from the Kikuyu ethnic group. In terms of reach of power,
they are increasingly - and disturbingly - getting involved in politics. They have played a central
role in violence surrounding many contested elections in Kenya, and have slaughtered men,
women, and children from other ethnic groups who opposed Kikuyu politicians. The Mungiki also
back election candidates and have been linked to several corrupt politicians in Kenyan government.
Kenyan police have responded equally brutally to the violence,
killing Mungiki members in the streets. In 2002, Kenya announced a ban on the Mungiki,
which shockingly did little to change violent gang members’ minds about their group membership.
The gang is still very much a brutal and violent force in Kenya,
and perhaps even more terrifyingly, their operations are so secretive that no one
really knows the extent of their influence and power.
Some officials estimate that their numbers could actually be in the couple of millions.
Cementing their role as one of the most dangerous and terrifying gangs in the world,
they have also been known to conduct forced female circumcision.
[UNITED BAMBOO]
Though its name might sound like a Benetton competitor,
United Bamboo is no joke. Locally, they are known as Zhu Lien Bang.
Operating mostly out of Taiwan,
this group maintains networks to many major organized crime families around the world
to enable their various drug smuggling and human trafficking businesses to flourish.
Politically, they appear to have ties to North Korea and were originally backed by the
Chinese government. United Bamboo includes 10,000 mostly ethnically Chinese members,
and is very adamant on silencing their opponents. They have been known to kill
journalists who look too closely into them and their operations, even as far away as California.
[pause]....Aaaaand perhaps that’s a good cue
for us to move on and pretend we never talked about any of this.
[YAKUZA]
Moving one country over, let’s look at a gang with a very different reputation - the Yakuza.
You might wonder why the Yakuza are on this list, as they have a more, let’s say, “refined”
reputation than most. At least, as refined as criminals, smugglers, and murderers can be.
It is generally true that Japanese people and tourists who don’t actively seek
business with the Yakuza don’t have much to fear from them. The Yakuza generally avoid
flashy mass violence so they can dodge too much attention from authorities.
However, the Yakuza are still an over 100-year old organization
that is heavily involved in Japanese government, supporting and financing several candidates and
parties of their choosing. Moreover, the Yakuza are one of the wealthiest gangs in the world,
with estimated revenues of over $10 billion per year.
Their wealth and power makes them quite dangerous to anyone who opposes them.
Since Japan doesn’t have equivalent laws to the RICO Act - Racketeer Influenced and
Corrupt Organizations Act - in the US, it’s hard for the legal system
in Japan to tie Yakuza bosses to the crimes of their organizations.
Though the Yakuza try to project a “noble” image in Japan,
with members generally dressing well and speaking politely,
it’s important to remember that they are still criminals responsible for thriving trafficking,
prostitution - much of it forced, - extortion, and other drug and gambling businesses in Japan.
[ARYAN BROTHERHOOD]
Back to US soil. Founded in 1964 in San Quentin Prison,
the Aryan Brotherhood has mostly been a prison gang for the majority of its existence.
Though they only have around 15,000 members, a tiny percent of the prison population,
US authorities believe they are responsible for around 25% of all prison murders.
Because their spheres of operation are mostly within jail cell walls,
many citizens underestimate the power, extent, and influence of the Aryan Brotherhood. However,
anyone who has been in jail is probably aware of the brutality
and extreme violence this particular gang inflicts on those they hate.
In fact, the Anti-Defamation League has given them the title of “most violent extremist group
in the US”. Their neo-Nazi beliefs translate to them generally only accepting white members. Many
people have to either kill or aid in the killing of another inmate to gain entry into the gang.
The Aryan Brotherhood is engaged in drug trafficking, prostitution - including forced
inmate prostitution, and murder for hire. We know this list of activities is starting to
sound repetitive, but it turns out dangerous gangs aren’t very creative with their income sources.
They are also pretty easy to spot thanks to things most of society has thankfully rejected,
like prominent swastika tattoos.
[14K TRIAD]
The Hong Kong-based 14k Triad gang might not be very well known outside East Asia. However,
it is estimated to be the second largest drug trafficking syndicate in the world,
dealing mostly in exporting heroin and opium from China and Southeast Asia to the rest of the globe.
In addition to the usual prostitution, weapons trafficking, etc.,
the 14k Triad has very effectively infiltrated Chinese police ranks
and even some government offices. This not only protects their operations at home,
but has also enabled them to extend their influence internationally. The gang operates
in Africa, South America, Europe, North America, even Australia and New Zealand.
People in these countries aren’t necessarily safe from the 14k Triad’s dealings if they
stay away from drugs. The gang has kidnapped high-profile and rich families in the past,
killed bystanders in Macau, and recklessly engages in drive-by shootings and car bombings.
[BLOODS & CRIPS]
Though the Bloods and Crips are two separate gangs that operate as enemies,
we grouped them together as people usually don’t mention one without mentioning the other.
Many high-profile rappers, especially from the West Coast, litter references to the Bloods and
Crips in their songs to show their street cred. These gangs originally started in Los Angeles,
even though they now boast members and “sets” - what their chapters are called - all over the US.
As we’re certain some friends told you in middle school to sound cool, Bloods wear red and Crips
wear blue. You can’t walk into some neighborhoods if you’re wearing the opposing colors.
The Bloods were actually created in 1972 in order to fight the increasing power and danger
of the Crips. Did you know that both “Bloods” and “Crips” are acronyms? Better yet, there’s
almost no way you can guess what these acronyms stand for. “Bloods” stands for “Brotherly Love
Overrides Oppression and Destruction” while Crips stands for “Community Revolution In Progress”.
Originally these two organizations were meant to help oppressed black communities throw off the
yoke of police brutality, but sadly devolved into the petty street gangs they are today. Currently,
the Bloods are estimated to have around 25,000 members, while the Crips number closer to 50,000.
Now go check out Deadliest gangs in the United States, or click this other video instead!