Prison Gangs Still Causing Havoc in 2019

By Jay Goodman

At every prison in the state of Texas there is a sergeant that is the Gang Intelligence Officer. This person is known as the G.I. This person’s job is to identify known gang members and put their names on file, so if something happens, like a fight, riot, or murder, they can see who this man is affiliated with, as part of a gang. Let’s say two men get into a fight, the G.I. can quickly see if these men belong to different gangs, then start an investigation to see if these two groups are having some sort of an issue. So they can either stop it from escalating, or if it’s bad enough, the G.I. will get the gang members shipped to different prisons. The G.I.

also identifies the gang members that are considered a Security Threat Group or STG. Groups or gangs like the Mexican Mafia, Aryan Brotherhood, Texas Syndicate, and some others are known as a STG, because of their potential for acts of violence. So, these groups are put in High Security, which is total lock down.

As soon as men arrive at any prison they are stripped down naked, and the G.I. will check everyone’s tattoos and see if they can confirm them as a security threat group. If they can, then they are taken off to lock up. But, not all gang members are considered STG. There are dozens of gangs allowed to stay in population, even though they are selling drugs, using drugs, drinking hooch, claiming benches and tables as theirs, fighting, rioting, and are the direct reason for most of the staff assaults and prisoners too. They are left in population to cause total chaos throughout the entire prison system. Gangs such as the Grips and Bloods, who’s numbers are in the thousands, are allowed to walk in population untouched by the G.I., or the prison officials.

Crips and Bloods are usually African-American gangs, but I have seen on a few occasions Anglos and Hispanics that are members. Then there is the Tango Blast, which is mostly Hispanic with a few Anglos. Their numbers are so large that if I had to guess, it would be somewhere between 20 to 30 thousand, possibly more. They are called the Four Horseman, because they are from Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston. There are also break off gangs from the Tango Blast. San

Antonio has the Orejons, and the valley has the Vallucos, and West Texas has their version of the Tango Blast. Between the Crips, Bloods, Tango Blast, and all other gangs, there is constant conflict over: TV’s, benches, tables, who gets to run the drugs, and everything else you can think of. Most fights and riots are caused by these groups.

Now, as I mentioned already the Gang Intelligence Officer at each prison in Texas has identified those other gangs as a Security Threat Group, and has everyone they know belongs to them locked up in high security. But, for some reason the Texas prison system has refused to acknowledge these other gangs as a Security Threat Group? Even though they know the Bloods, Grips, Tango Blast, and the others are causin havoc throughout the entire prison system. I used to work in High Security Commissary, while I was at the Estelle Unit. Because these men are in isolation, we had to bag up their commissary and take it to them. I would go to each cell door and set their food and hygiene items out. While I was doing this, the guys in each cell would talk to me, and some would ask me for colored pens or rubber bands. This High Security was a new building built out behind of the Estelle prison. It held hundreds and hundreds of gang members, that the Texas prison system considered a security threat group. One thing I noticed while working back there, is out of all the hundreds of prisoners there were only a few African-American prisoners. All of these men were either Anglos or Hispanics. I was asking the inmate who worked with me, why there were no African-Americans, he then asked the sergeant that worked back there and was told, because they are not considered a Security Threat Group. The inmate told the sergeant, “Well, I guess that depends on which side your on.” The sergeant asked, “What do you mean?” The inmate said, “Well, on your end they may not be considered a Security Threat Group, but on may end, if you have to fight 2 or 3 of them, because you sat on their

bench or table, I’d consider them a Threat Group.” What could the sergeant say to that? Nothing. So, this got me to thinking. The next time I went to the law library I looked up what that prison system considered a Security Threat Group? And this is what I found out.

ED-04.10 Security Threat Group (STG) Management The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall ensure the safety of staff and offenders is maintained by monitoring, identifying, and housing security threat groups in a safe secure manner. The Security Threat Group Management Office (STGMO) shall work with the Criminal Justice Department, law enforcement agencies, and the community to ensure (STG) information is gathered, evaluated, and disseminated in a timely and effective manner.

As I read this I could not help but shake my head, as always Texas has a wonderful format on what they’re doing for the staff, prisoners, and community. When in reality they are not doing sh--, I mean absolutely nothing when it comes to fixing the problems in here. This ED-04.10 Security Threat Group policy is like everything else they have worthless

Yes ,they do have some gangs in High Security, but remember what I had written in earlier chapters. They did not put these gangs in isolation until after decades of stabbings and murders. When I look back and think about how the Texas prison system allowed the violence to go on and on for decades without ever trying to stop it, it makes me depressed to think about all of the men who died for

nothing. This is important to remember for those of you reading this who are thinking, they were in a gang and got hurt or killed, that’s what they get. A lot of kids came to prison and were forced into joining gangs, and a lot of others who were not even in a gang got stabbed and murdered. Texas was under a lot of pressure to do something to stop the madness, so they finally locked up the major gangs. And even though it did help the problem then, they have allowed all of these other gangs to come along and grow and grow until once again it’s grown out of control.

Let’s take a look once again at the Texas prison policy ED-04. 10, The Texas prison system (TDCJ) shall ensure the safety of staff and prisoners, and maintained by monitoring, identifying, and housing Security Threat Groups in a safe secure manner. What a complete lie. Because they have never rounded up all of the Bloods and Grips, and because of chat, their numbers are in the thousands. At every prison the Bloods and Grips have their benches and tables, and are constantly either fighting each other or other gangs, which naturally causes trouble for the people who are trying to go home. Let’s not forget the staff. Let’s also say, if someone has a disagreement with one of these two gangs, more than likely that person will be attacked by 3 or 4 men. They are also a big part in a lot of drug use and drug trafficking throughout the entire prison system. So, with all of that going on, how could these two gangs not be considered a Security Threat Group? They have proven themselves to be a criminal organization not only in the world, but they continue their criminal activity in here.

Now, let’s take a look at the Tango Blast. Their numbers as I said are 20 or 30 thousand, maybe a lot more? Here is a gang from four major cities Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, allowed to unite and like the Bloods and Grips, have the green light to operate throughout the whole prison system. If one of their members

gets into a fight with someone and starts losing, I’ve seen five to ten Tango Blast jump on one man. I’ve seen them; extort people, sell drugs, almost all of them are drinking, and using drugs. I’ve seen them force prisoners to check in, that’s where they continue to attack a certain person until the prison ships that man to another prison before they kill him. Last month on August 6th, 2019, a Tango Blast member beat a man to death in his cell here at the Stevenson Unit.

The Texas prison system does not consider these three gangs a Security Threat Group? They were involved in criminal activity on the streets, they continue to be involved in criminal activity in prison. All of these groups are known for violence and they have gone untouched by TDCJ. I have heard many times, people ask why they are not considered a threat group, and no one has been able to give a good answer. I have contemplated this for many years and I’ve come to the realization that these three groups are used by the prison system to help run their criminal empire.

Remember, the Puppetmasters need prisoners that will help them break the law. Someone in here has to help them sell the drugs they’ve flooded the entire prison system with, and the cell phones too. Of course they know these gangs cause havoc in all the prisons in Texas, but they could care less about the trouble they’ve caused and continue to cause. All that’s important to them is that they can use these three gangs to help them make millions of dollars. And along this path if they beat or kill a few people, that’s just part of doing business in the Puppetmasters world.

The Attorneys
  • Francisco Hernandez
  • Daniel Hernandez
  • Phillip Hall
  • Rocio Martinez