Vineland Boys

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Vineland Boys is a street gang composed mainly of Hispanic Americans operating in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles.

History

The Vineland Boys gang was founded in North Hollywood, Los Angeles in January 1988 by former members and associates of the 18th Street gang. It was named after Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood where members would play football. In addition to 18th Street, the Vineland Boys also clashed with the Mexican Mafia until the gang's founder Teddy Lopez was murdered by Mexican Mafia members at a Monterey Park nightclub in 1998. The Vineland boys have since joined the Mexican Mafia-controlled Sureño gang coalition. [1] The gang has approximately 300 members and operates in the San Fernando Valley. [2] The Vineland Boys have formed alliances with Armenian Power and the Abergil Organization. The gang allegedly first teamed up with Abergils in 2000, offering protection and cooperation to the Israeli mafia's ecstasy trafficking ring operating in their territory. [3]

In 2003, members of the Vineland Boyz gang fatally shot Burbank Police Officer Matthew Pavelka. [4] This prompted a massive response where 1,300 federal and local law enforcement members took part in "Operation Silent Night". It resulted in 23 arrests of Vineland Boyz gang members. [4] This case became notorious not only for the long-scale US-Mexico manhunt of Matthew Pavelka's killer, David Garcia (who was a member of the Vineland Boys before his arrest in 2003) but also for revealing the Vineland Boys' ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, Mexico's largest drug cartel and one of the most violent criminal organizations in the world, as well as revealing the intricate and deep corruption in the city of Burbank with the arrest of former Burbank mayor Stacey Jo Murphy. [5] [6] [7]

On February 13, 2019 the Vineland Boyz gang was targeted again by federal agents. [8] Over three dozen associates were arrested in the raids. [8]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tijuana Cartel</span> Criminal organization based in Tijuana, Mexico

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">18th Street gang</span> Transnational criminal gang

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican Mafia</span> Mexican American criminal organization

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wah Ching</span> Chinese American gang

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenues (gang)</span> Mexican-American street gang

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abergil Organization</span> Israeli organized crime group

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The Israeli mafia are the organized crime groups operating in Israel or consisting of Israeli members. There are 16 crime families operating in Israel, five major groups active on the national level and 11 smaller organizations. There are six Jewish crime families active and three Arab crime families. Many heads and members of the crime groups have either been killed or are in prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sureños</span> Coalition of Mexican-American street gangs

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The Asian Boyz, also known as ABZ, AB-26, or ABZ Crips, are a street gang based in Southern California. They were founded in the late 1980s to protect Cambodian refugees from other American gangs. According to the FBI, the gang has about 12,000 members, who are predominantly Southeast Asian and especially Cambodian. Many Asian Boyz are also members of the U.S. military, some of whom use their position to traffic drugs. According to the FBI's 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment, the Asian Boyz are active in 28 different cities in 14 different states across the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenian Power</span> Armenian-American crime syndicate

Armenian Power 13, also known as AP, the Armenian Mob, or Armenian Mafia is an Armenian criminal organization and street gang founded and currently based in Los Angeles County, California. They are involved in drug trafficking, murder, assault, fraud, identity theft, illegal gambling, kidnapping, racketeering, robbery and extortion. They are believed to have around 200 members and hundreds of associates, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. They are also well known for their connections with the Mexican Mafia.

The Logan Heights Gang, also known as Varrio Logan Heights or LH, is a Sureño street gang based in Southeast San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playboys (gang)</span> Mexican-American street gang

Playboys 13 Gang, also known by the acronym PBS13, is a predominantly Mexican-American street gang founded in the Los Angeles County, California and extends to areas in South Central Los Angeles and Orange County, California. The gang also goes by the Spanish term "Conejo" which means "rabbit" or Rabbit gang to identify itself. They align themselves with the prison gang known as La EME or the Mexican Mafia, Because of their affiliation with La EME, while in prison, they set aside their rivalry with other Southern California gang members known as Sureño.

The Florencia 13, also known as South Side Florencia 13,Florence Gang, F13 is an American criminal street gang based in Los Angeles, California, composed mainly of Mexican-Americans. The gang is named after the Florence area of Los Angeles County, controlled by the Mexican Mafia. They are involved in drug smuggling, murder, assault and robbery.

References

  1. "The Vineland Boys Gang" . Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  2. From Israel to Los Angeles Allison Hoffman, The Jerusalem Post (August 27, 2008)
  3. Manhunt Hobbles Gang Activity Richard Fausset and Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times (December 8, 2003)
  4. 1 2 "Bad Night for the Vineland Boyz" . Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. "'AMERICAN CARTEL': NEW DOCUSERIES INVESTIGATES COP'S MURDER, DEADLY SOCAL CARTEL". Coffee or Die Magazine. 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  6. "Ex-Burbank mayor pleads guilty in cocaine case". San Mateo Daily Journal. 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  7. "Former Councilwoman Pleads Guilty". Los Angeles Times. 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  8. 1 2 "Dozens of Reputed Gang Members, Associates Nabbed in Crackdowns Across Southern California" . Retrieved 13 February 2019.