One of the first prison gangs to develop in the United States, the Mexican Mafia began in 1957 in California. In 1993, San Antonio FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Jeff Jamar called El Eme, often now the name given to the gang on the street, "the most dominant of the prison-spawned gangs operating in Texas," when comparing it to the 10 other large-scale gangs active in US prisons at the time. In 1992, membership within prison was hovering at 700, while in 1998 it was just under 1,500. Today it continues to rise. Outside of prison, La EME is still an ominous presence, responsible for 10% of San Antonio''s total homicide rate, with thousands of members estimated to be operating across the United States. While California and Texas prisons house high numbers of both the California branch and Texas branch of the Mexican Mafia, the two states' respective prison gangs are not officially linked. While they both operate by the same broad title, the Texas branch identifies itself as "Mexikanemi," (Soldiers of Aztlan), or La EMI, while the California branch identifies itself as La EME. In addition, southern California's branch of the Mexican Mafia calls itself the Surenos (or Sur-13), as opposed to the Nuestra Familia's subdivision in northern California, the Nortenos. The Texas chapter of the Mexican Mafia was founded in a Huntsville prison in 1984 by Heriberto "Herbie" Huerta. Huerta was serving three life terms for murder conspiracy and racketeering when he was given permission by the California chapter to establish his own branch in Texas. Huerta also wrote the constitution that is followed by members to this day, and continues to collect and manage revenue generated by criminal activities. Huerta's prison bank account held $8,000 in 2002, the result of a 10% tax called the "dime" that is collected by drug earnings made on Mexican Mafia turf on the outside. ObjectivesAs a previous spiritual leader of the Mexikanemi Science Temple of Aztlan, Huerta followed a pre-Hispanic creed that related his desire to establish a legitimate network built on "character," and an emphasis of love over hate. However, the actual objective of the Mexican Mafia is to earn money through criminal operations. The Mexican Mafia's Constitution, which outlines all aspects of criminal organization and enterprising, was recently described in the San Antonio Express-News, citing a prosecution's address to the jury during a 2005 trial: "the Mexican Mafia is a 'criminal organization' that works 'in any criminal aspect or interest for the benefit and advancement of Mexikanemi. We shall deal in drugs, contract killings, prostitution, large-scale robbery, gambling, weapons and everything imaginable." It goes on to declare that the only punishment approved by the organization is death. LocationThe Mexican Mafia's headquarters are located in San Antonio, but its members reach across several jurisdictions, including California, Arizona, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Houston, Dallas, and Midwestern and southern Texas. Structure and OrganizationAccording to law enforcement, the Mexican Mafia follows a strict hierarchy and a rigid set of "by-laws." The organization has a written constitution outlining all aspects of its criminal organization and enterprising. As covered in the San Antonio Express-News, citing a 2005 trial, the Mexican Mafia "shall deal in drugs, contract killings, prostitution, large-scale robbery, gambling, weapons and everything imaginable." The constitution also stipulates, as most prison gangs do today, that gang members released from prison become "free world soldiers" required to serve the gang's economic interest by dealing in drugs, racketeering, and prostitution on the outside . These recent parolees, generally termed "wolfpacks" by both the Mexican Mafia and the Nuestra Familia, carry messages to gang leaders on the outside. According to Robert Fong (1990), the Mafia's Constitution outlines 12 principal rules.
The Mexican Mafia operate on a paramilitary structure, complete with a president, vice president, and numerous generals, captains, lieutenants and sergeants. Below these high-ranking members are soldiers, also known as "carnales," as well as suppliers and associates, all of whose activities are overseen by the generals. Only one general operates in the federal prison system, while another one operates in the state prison system. The state general appoints a committee of lieutenants and captains who command prison units across the entire state.
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