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!
