Opinion ID: 783483
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Mexican Mafia's Structure and Operation

Text: 10 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Valdemar (Deputy Valdemar), an expert witness, testified that the Mexican Mafia is a prison gang formed in the 1950s by Hispanic street gang members incarcerated at the Deuel Vocational Institution, located in Tracy, California. The founding members formed the organization to protect Hispanics from other such gangs within California's jails and prisons. By using violence, the Mexican Mafia eventually gained significant power and control over illegal activities in the California prison system. As members were released from state custody, they extended their influence outside the prison system to control drug distribution — principally by taxing drug dealers — in parts of Southern California. 11 At the time of trial, Deputy Valdemar testified that the Mexican Mafia had 250 to 300 members. In addition, the gang had numerous associates who aspired to become members and were willing to commit crimes on the Mexican Mafia's behalf in hopes of attaining membership. Deputy Valdemar identified J. Hernandez as an associate, and the other Appellants as members of the Mexican Mafia. 12 E. Castro testified that defendant Benjamin Peters (Peters) prepared him for membership in the Mexican Mafia while both were incarcerated at the California Institution for Men, located in Chino, California (Chino State Prison). He recounted Peters's explanation to him of the route to membership: If the mafia has any enemies, that they're also my enemies, so long as I take care of them by stabbing them, then that would deem me eventually a member. The Mexican Mafia required a vote of three members to make a new member or murder an existing member, but did not require a vote for a member to kill a nonmember. 13 E. Castro and Torres testified for the prosecution that Mexican Mafia members had to follow four rules: a Mexican Mafia member cannot (1) be an informant; (2) be a homosexual; (3) be a coward; or (4) disrespect or politick against another member. Death was the automatic consequence for violation of any of the first three rules, and only a member could carry out the murder of another. While in prison, the Mexican Mafia expected its members to engage in drug trafficking, extortion, and any other activity to acquire money and exert power and control over other inmates. Outside prison, Mexican Mafia members met regularly to discuss and vote on actions in furtherance of the members' illegal activities. 14 According to E. Castro, Mexican Mafia members communicated in prison by having meetings in the exercise yard, sending messages through visitors or inmates who were transferred between prisons, and passing small notes known as kites or wilas. E. Castro further testified that Mexican Mafia members operated under a code of silence, which obligated them to deny any membership in or knowledge of the organization. Because of this code, E. Castro stated that he testified in a previous case involving R. Hernandez and falsely denied the existence of the Mexican Mafia and R. Hernandez's membership in it.