The U.S. Department of Justice estimates numbers of approximately one million members.Consistent with these findings, increased criminal gang activities were reported by 58% of law enforcement agencies, a 13% jump since 2004. No state or territory was exempt.
Illicit Drugs Fuel Membership Increase
Much of the increase in youth and street gang membership is directly attributed to an increase in drug trafficking, the gangs’ principal source of income, and drug smuggling. Along with these criminal mainstays, street and youth gangs have also been actively engaged in “alien smuggling, armed robbery, assault, auto theft, extortion, fraud, home invasions, identity theft, murder, prostitution, and weapons trafficking,” exclusive of crime committed by non-member drug addicts to support their habits.
As would be expected, given the continuing flood of drugs across the Mexican border, high concentrations of gang members were identified in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado where, based on calculations drawn from the National Drug Threat Survey 2008, 5-7 people of 1000 per capita were gang members. Yet, far removed from the border, Illinois topped the list with 8-11 members per capita. While such statistics may easily be affected by reporting efficiency and other data gathering factors, trends clearly emerge as state by state analyses are undertaken.
Nationwide Drug Supply Chains
One trend affecting the increase is the improved ability of major drug wholesalers to get their products to their retailers, that is, to the youth and street gangs. For example, just as the Atlanta, Georgia area is a major transportation hub for legitimate commerce servicing major cities along the east coast and in the central states, so it has apparently become for the Mexican drug cartels. In 2008, $70 million of drug-related money was seized in the Atlanta area, more than in any other region in the United States. 2009 is shaping up the same – by the end of February, $30 million had been seized in Atlanta, compared to $19 million in Los Angeles and $18 in Chicago.
According to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) news release, 24 indictments were handed down in Washington State and Idaho in September, 2008 for cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking, all connected to Mexico’s notorious Sinaloan cartels. The case required a year of investigation and the involvement of 17 law enforcement agencies, a hugely expensive allocation of resources.
Gang Recruitment Outpaces Interdiction
Although the number of youth and street gangs that retail the drugs has not increased appreciably in recent years – remaining at an estimated 21,000 – the existing gangs have been recruiting more new members. There has been a significant rise in female gang membership. Recruitment in schools has become more systematic. In some localities gang members who were school drop-outs have re-enrolled solely to recruit new members. Facebook, MySpace, and other Internet opportunities are also being used for recruitment.
With 227 offices in the U.S., the DEA's presence is substantial. However, one trend among youth and street gangs which may reduce government impact is the movement of gang operations and members from urban to suburban and rural areas.
Generally, seizures of drugs and criminal indictments have increased. Partly this results from increased policing, but it may result from increased trafficking and volume of available drugs. The increase in youth and street gang membership suggests the latter is the most likely scenario. Without income opportunities based on user demand and relatively stable supply, many of those additional members would not be there.
