page_title: Mexican Mafia
hierarchical_section_title: Mexican Mafia
caption_attribution_description: English: Mexican Mafia tattoo.
context_page_description: The Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme, is a highly organized Mexican American criminal organization in the United States. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia did not originate in Mexico, and is entirely a U.S. criminal prison organization. Law enforcement officials report that the Mexican Mafia is the deadliest and most powerful gang within the California prison system. Government officials state that there are currently 400-500 official members of the Mexican Mafia with around 1,000 associates who also carry out its illegal activities in the hopes of becoming full members. The Mexican Mafia is unquestionably one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal gangs in the world, and regarded by the U.S. Government as "the most powerful, vicious and feared prison gang in the world." The Mexican Mafia has over 50,000 foot soldiers on the streets of California, with hundreds of Hispanic street gangs at their disposal, willing to carry out any order from the Mexican Mafia higher-ups. The Mexican Mafia is considered by the Drug Enforcement Administration to be more dangerous, and at least as powerful as the Drug Cartels in Mexico.
context_section_description: The Mexican Mafia (Spanish: Mafia Mexicana), also known as La Eme (Spanish for "the M"), is a highly organized Mexican American criminal organization in the United States. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia did not originate in Mexico, and is entirely a U.S. criminal prison organization. Law enforcement officials report that the Mexican Mafia is the deadliest and most powerful gang within the California prison system. Government officials state that there are currently 400-500 official members of the Mexican Mafia with around 1,000 associates who also carry out its illegal activities in the hopes of becoming full members. The Mexican Mafia is unquestionably one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal gangs in the world, and regarded by the U.S. Government as "the most powerful, vicious and feared prison gang in the world." The Mexican Mafia has over 50,000 foot soldiers on the streets of California, with hundreds of Hispanic street gangs at their disposal, willing to carry out any order from the Mexican Mafia higher-ups. The Mexican Mafia is considered by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to be more dangerous, and at least as powerful as the Drug Cartels in Mexico.
caption: Organization's name tattooed on member's abdomen.
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