Houston Metro Area Among Top Regions In Gang Activity

HOUSTON, TX -- The recent arrest of two admitted members of the MS-13 gang, and the shooting earlier this month that injured two Houston police officers and killed one member of the the 52 Hoovers, also known as five-deuce Hoovas gang, is raising public awareness for an issue that has been present in Houston for many years.

Long considered just an inner-city problem, criminal gangs have spread to suburban and rural areas in many regions, and that includes the Greater Houston area.

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Sam Cerda, who currently works as part of the department's auto theft task force, has a lot of experience with criminal gangs — or “Clicks” — as they are commonly referred to by law enforcement.

A large poster in the corner of the room displayed the documented criminal gangs in the Houston area.

Names many of us may have heard in the past, such as MS-13, the Crips, the Bloods, The Latin Kings, are only a small sample of the dozens that law enforcement officials know about or have encountered.

In fact, there are hundreds of gangs in Houston, with membership nearing 20,000.

Cerda, who shared some of his observations with the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce Crime Prevention Committee on March 16, won’t even mention names.

“I’m not giving them props when I talk about them,” he said. “I won’t mention names and I won’t mention their stats because I won’t give them any credit.”

But he will share what he knows, because the gang problem has become an issue that affects the whole of the Houston area, and not just isolated pockets, or a block or two that might be claimed as turf.

Crips gang members in group photo (Wikipedia Commons). They identify with their blue colors.

They might be identified by the clothing they wear, the tattoos they have on their bodies, or how they communicate, such as with hand signs.

Sometimes, they will just admit to their gang affiliation by telling law enforcement officials, unless it’s found on social media like Instagram or SnapChat.

“They love taking pictures of themselves,” Cerda said.

Miguel Alvarez-Florez and Diego Hernandez-Rivera, who came to the U.S. from El Salavador, allegedly admitted to being members of MS-13, and admitted to the satanic killing of a teeange girl in February. Both are in the Harris County Jail on a hold by ICE. (Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office)

Earlier this month, police charged two admitted members of the MS-13 criminal gang, with kidnapping and he murder of 15-year old Genesis Cornejo.

Miguel Angel Alvarez-Flores, 22, and Diego Alexander Hernandez-Rivera, 18, also allegedly admitted to their involvement to the crimes at the time of their arrest on Feb. 27.

Also Read: Houston Police Arrest Two Alleged MS-13 Gang Members For Girl's Satanic Killing

The killing of Genesis Cornejo was only the latest reported killing by MS-13 gang members.

Last year, a 14-year old boy was found hacked to death near Addicks Dam in Katy, while another boy was found murdered in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, north of Houston.

In January, the Texas Department of Public Safety released an overview of gang activity in Texas that includes threats from terrorism, Mexican Cartels, Human Trafficking and gang activity.

According to the report, MS-13 is gaining influence and membership, and poses the greatest criminal threat because of their relationship with Mexican Cartels.

However, MS-13 is far from the only gang in town.

In fact, there are more than 350 gangs in Houston and Harris County, with roughly 19,000 members, according to a KPRC report.

Law enforcement officials are urging anyone who suspects gang activity in their areas to be proactive and submit their tip anonymously to stophoustongangs.org

Image Bryan Kirk/Patch