FBI FILE :18 STREET GANG!

18th Street gang is considered to be the largest transnational criminal gang in Los Angeles, California. It is estimated that there are thousands of members in Los Angeles County alone.
A U.S. Justice Department report from 2009 estimates that the 18th Street gang has a membership of 65,000 and is active in 44 cities in 20 states.
Its main source of income is street-level distribution of cocaine and marijuana and, to a lesser extent, heroin and methamphetamine.
Gang members also commit assault, auto theft, carjacking, drive-by shootings, extortion, homicide, identification fraud, and robbery.

18th Street gang members are required to abide by a strict set of rules.
Failure to obey the word of a gang leader, or to show proper respect to a fellow gang member, may result in an 18-second beating, or even execution for more serious offenses.
According to the FBI, some factions of the 18th Street gang have developed a high level of sophistication and organization.
The 18th Street gang is of Chicano origin and was formed by Mexican-American youth who were not accepted in the existing American gangs.
18th Street gang members often identify themselves with the number 18 on their jerseys and clothing.
18th Street will use the symbols XV3, XVIII, 666, 99,(9+9=18), and 3-dots in their graffiti and tattoos. 18th Street colors are black, blue, and gray.
Blue is to represent Sureños, the gangs from the oldest barrios in Southern California, and black is to represent the original color for the gang.
The 18th Street gang is occasionally referred to as the "Children's Army" because of its recruitment of elementary and middle-school aged youth.
In El Salvador it is common for members of the gang, to be tattooed on the face with a large "18". In many cases the tattoo covers the entire face.