Sureños gangs and Mexican cartel use of social networking sites

Abstract

Narco use of the Internet, specifically social networking sites by Sureños gang and Mexican cartel members, is a rich yet underexplored area of research in open venues because of its sensitive nature. This essay provides overviews of Sureños gang and Mexican cartel use of the Internet by means of viewing and analyzing primary Internet sources linked to purported narcotics groups and their associates. These patterns of use were then compared to more sophisticated Internet use by terrorist groups with similarities and contrasts noted. This essay concludes with a few general observations concerning likely narco Internet use patterns that will emerge.

Keywords:

• Facebook
• gangs
• Internet
• Mexican cartels
• MySpace
• Los Zetas
• MS-13
• social networking
• Sur-13
• Sureños
• terrorists

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Gus Frias for comment and review of an earlier draft of the Sureños gang use of social networking sites section of this essay.

Notes

 1. These include Papachristos, ‘Gang World’; KETV, ‘Gangs Take Graffiti To Internet’; Glazer, ‘Authorities Say Gangs Using Internet’; and Borunda, ‘Street gangs use Web sites to promote their agendas’.

 2. National Gang Intelligence Center, ‘Gang Communications’ section of the National Gang Threat Assessment 2009.

 3. National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, 4.

 4. See KETV, ‘Gangs Take Graffiti To Internet’.

 5. Begert, Sullivan, and Bunker, ‘MS-13 and Improvised Online Communication Networks’.

 6. No reciprocal MS-13 member contact from the Americas was noted, so multiply.com should also at this time be considered devoid of use though an open invitation for MS-13 to ally with Philippine street gangsters is troubling.

 7. Wes McBride, a noted gang researcher and retired law enforcement professional, was contacted concerning the image. Street gang members do not typically pose with submachine guns, especially silver-plated ones, which look like they came from a Hollywood movie.

 8. Begert, Sullivan, and Bunker, ‘MS-13 and Improvised Online Communication Networks’.

 9. Information from the 19th annual Utah Gang Conference. Reavy, ‘Gangs recruit new members via Internet, officials say’.

10. FBI Website, ‘The MS-13 Threat: A National Assessment’.

11. The actual intent of hanging the banner is in dispute and may have been undertaken for psychological warfare purposes against the Mexican government. The number on it reached a taped recording.

12. Patterson (quoted), ‘Mexican Cartel War Spreads to the Internet’.

13. San Antonio Express News , ‘Singers Slaying was Posted in Advance’.

14. García, ‘The Popularity of Another Drug’.

15. Review of overt profiles and groups on http://www.habbo.com.

16. Zeta Hitman Profile, Habbo Hotel, profile created on 24 June 2009, http://www.habbo.com.

17. Review of overt group profiles on http://www.secondlife.com.

18. Mafia Wars description from the Zynga website, http://www.zynga.com/games/index.php?game = mafiawars.