USDOJ Unseals 35 Indictments Against Barrio Azteca
U.S. Attorneys announced a federal indictment of 35 members and associates of the Barrio Azteca. Barrio Azteca started as a prison gang and has evolved into one of the biggest drug cartels on the Texas-Mexico border. It started with approximately twenty members, but has grown to over 3,000 members. The gang collects taxes from street-level drug dealers and the proceeds are sent to members in prison.
They are now based in El Paso, Midland, Odessa, Texas, along with other cities in Mexico. This drug cartel is considered to be the enforcement arm of Mexico's Juarez cartel.