# Spanish Cobras

The Spanish Cobras is a primarily (but not exclusively) Latino street gang, present in multiple states throughout the Midwestern United States, with a strong presence on the north and west sides of Chicago, Illinois.

## History

Legend has the Spanish Cobras starting as a Puerto Rican youth club on the West Side of Chicago around 1948. Other sources say they were founded in 1958, in the Bridgeport neighborhood. Regardless, The Cobras arrived in Humboldt Park during the 1960’s.
From their headquarters at Maplewood/Campbell & Potomac, in the early 1970’s The Spanish Cobras invaded the neighboring Evergreen Hustlers' territory to take over Evergreen & Washtenaw, absorbing the gang. A Young Cobras faction was formed by their teenage leader, Richard “King Cobra” Medina, to attack rival’s turf; claiming Artesian & Potomac ("A-Town") and Mozart & Cortland ("Sin City").
The Spanish Cobras stabbed a member of the Latin Kings during the annual Chicago Puerto Rican Parade in June 1977. The Kings retaliated later that day, culminating in the two gangs publicly fighting. Chicago Police then shot indiscriminately into the crowd, killing two innocent bystanders, thus igniting the Humboldt Park riot.
Behind prison walls in November 1978, The Spanish Cobras are one of the original nations to join the new Folks alliance of the Gangster Disciples.
In April of ‘79 the Insane Spanish Cobras made headlines again during their bloody war with the Insane Unknowns. There was a public response from Mayor Jane Byrne to the homicides, and she ordered massive police sweeps.
Before his murder at the age of 20 in a drive-by shooting, “King Cobra” grew the Spanish Cobras into a powerhouse around the Division & Maplewood area ("The Motherland"), Division & Artesian, and Artesian & LeMoyne. They expanded into West Humboldt Park at Ridgeway & Thomas, and took over the 'hoods of North Ave & Harding, LeMoyne & Springfield, and Springfield & Hirsch, which branched into Avers & Hirsch ("Westown Cobras").
In the 1980s, according to criminologist John Haggerdon's book Insane the Chicago Way,
   "What began to take shape was the daring plan of gang leaders incarcerated in Statesville—Fernando "Prince Fernie" Zayas from the Maniac Latin Disciples, Anibal "Tuffy C" Santiago from the Insane Spanish Cobras, and David Ayala from the Two Sixers—to create a local Latino Mafia."
Young Spanish Cobra sets opened like wildfire in Logan Square at Shakespeare & Central Park (“Young & Crazy”), Central Park & Dickens (“Wild Side”), Tripp & Dickens (“The Terror Dome”); Monticello & Cortland (“Murder City”) branched into Cortland & Lawndale (“Cobrasland”).
Insane Spanish Cobras took over Kilbourn & Fullerton ("The Killing Fields"), the notorious Fullerton & Tripp ("No Love City"), Tripp & Wabansia ("The Snake Pit"), Drake & Wolfram ("Diamond City") and Cicero & Armitage.
Summer 1989. The Francis & Stave YLO-Cobras attack the Simon City Royals at Kosciusko Park by Diversey & Pulaski, taking control of "Koz Park" in early 1990 and opening Schubert & Avers as a major illegal drug distribution spot.
April 1992. Kedzie & Barry Maniac Latin Disciples accuse a Spanish Cobra of selling them bad drugs. The angry MLD’s return and shoot the dealer to death. The Cobras respond by invading Maniac’s hood and causing a riot. For the next two days, drive-by’s are rampant as guns blaze up and down Logan Square streets.
The Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples were strong allies from the 1960's to the mid 1990s. However, they began fighting over drug territory around 1993-94. As head of the Insane Familia, the Insane Spanish Cobras took their alliance of Insane Deuces, Dragons, O-A’s, Insane Campbell Boys and others to war against the Maniacs and Almighty Folks.
A peace treaty was re-established, but tension and resentment lingered on all sides.
In February 1996 a Spanish Cobra broke the delicate truce when he killed an MLD. All hell broke out on the streets and the escalation of the Insane—Maniac war made the Chicago Tribune. That same year; in retaliation for the murder of a high-ranking member, the West-Town Cobras shot up a Latin Kings wedding, resulting in casualties. The deadly shooting was caught on videotape and local news stations broadcast it across Chicagoland. This increased the pressure on law enforcement to go after the gang.
After a nine-month undercover narcotics investigation, in January 1998 the Chicago Police Department arrested 31 Spanish Cobras in "Operation: Mongoose", including some gang leaders.
When a Spanish Cobra Nation boss was released from prison in 2019 after serving 20 years, he intensified the war on the street to reclaim old turf.

## Territory

The Chicago neighborhoods with the strongest active Insane and YLO Spanish Cobra presence are: Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Logan Square, Belmont-Cragin, Avondale, Albany Park and Kelvyn Park. With a small presence in the McKinley Park area on the south side (34th & Western).
The Spanish Cobra Nation is also found in the Chicago suburbs of Waukegan, Bensenville and Cicero. Police have reported Cobra gang members in the suburbs of Elgin, Wheeling, Mount Prospect and Northlake.
They are known to operate in other parts of Illinois, as well as in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha in Wisconsin, and in Detroit. They are quite large in Flint, Michigan. Law enforcement has also reported Spanish Cobras in Ohio, Connecticut and South Florida.