Spain has not won the war against youth gangs. Recent police operations show that some of its leaders, in prison, continue to issue orders from jail.
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Youth gangs—originally called Latino gangs because almost all of their members were from Latin America—emerged in Spain at the turn of the century and staged brawls, muggings, and some murders. They were also characterized by the harsh and bloody tests to which they subjected the young people who wanted to be part of them or ascend within their hierarchy.
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The actions of the police and the judiciary broke up many of these gangs, which went into the background for a while. However, alarms have recently been raised due to some attacks with bladed weapons.
Now the authorities report that several of its leaders are still active from prison. They reached this conclusion after investigations, monitoring and the interception of telephones. These are the cases of the leaders of two of the most important gangs: latin king and Dominicans Don’t Play.
The king of the ‘Latin King’
Last Monday, the Civil Guard released details about the arrest of Eric Javier Velasteguiwho founded the ‘Latin King’ on the peninsula, a subsidiary of the Ecuadorian in 2000. The leader of one of the most powerful gangs acted from prison.
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Known as ‘King Wolverine’ or ‘the Godfather’, he imposed himself with violence and with a discourse of belonging among young people from disjointed homes and without roots.
Velastegui, currently 45 years old, went to prison in 2003 for a rape in the capital. The Provisional Court of Madrid imposed 21 years in prison on him, a term that was later extended for four more, after they found that he continued to lead the gang behind bars.
He had four years left to get out, but last week several Civil Guard agents told him in prison that He was being investigated for continuing to give orders from prison, which makes it foreseeable that this period will be extended further. He used his cell phone to keep in touch with his seconds on board and took advantage of the prison permits he had enjoyed since June 2022 to strengthen his position.
Another fifteen people were arrested in Operation Torcidos; Among them, his girlfriend and his lieutenant, the key chips that enforced his orders. The latter “maintained a close and constant organic contact with the absolute leader of the band”; that is, with Velastegui.
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The name of the operation is taken from the same division that lives within the group. The leader’s aggressiveness led to a part of the members separating and two factions arose: Los Torcidos —violent and followers of the Godfather— and the Latin King.
During the investigation, the Civil Guard detected that the activity of the gang was growing, dedicated to “robbery with violence, threats, injuries and drug trafficking”, according to the Ministry of the Interior. It also realized that some of its members went to educational centers to recruit minors and that they continued to settle scores, fight for territories with violent confrontations with other gangs and even with other internal sections.
With a strict hierarchical order and within a highly disciplined environmentthe orders came from the top and focused on crimes, above all, that allowed economic gain: robberies with violence, injuries and threats, among others.
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Through phone conversations and meetings on leave with his lieutenant, Tatam, and Velastegui’s girlfriend, Luna, he not only prepared his return and gave orders, but also organized the receipt and distribution of cocaine that helped finance the gang.
During the operation, five searches were carried out and bladed weapons, precision scales, clothing with band symbols, and cash were found.
‘Dominicans Don’t Play’ in game
‘El Padrino’ was not the only leader of Latino gangs who continued to order from prison. So did Ayrton C. A, alias Tolín, head of the ‘Dominican Don’t Play’ (DDP), behind bars after in April 2021 he attacked a young man who was received along with other members of the group. several stab wounds in Toledo. The victim was badly injured, but survived.
The police discovered that, from his cell, ‘Tolín’ continued to issue orders. Through telephone conversations and WhatsApp, it organized submission processes for its members, attacks in fights (sometimes with firearms), the use of minors for drug sales and payment of contributions from the band members.
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The key people were Alejandro (known as ‘Lomina’), a 23-year-old Colombian, and Héctor (alias Leyenda), a 29-year-old Dominican. They executed in the street what ‘Tolín’, 25, ordered from prison. And they informed him of everything that happened.
The police verified this in a conversation in which ‘Lomina’ told his boss that some minors had robbed a business to pay the arrears due to the gang. “How they did it? Did they get in with a gun?” asked ‘Tolín’. “With a gun and a machete,” ‘Lomina’ answered. Apparently, the waitress fainted from fear, there were more but they couldn’t take more than 900 because she fainted. “Make them soldiers,” the boss told him, referring to giving them a promotion within the gang.
Through ‘Lomina’ and ‘Leyenda’, the leader of the DDP maintained control over the gang.
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youth gangs
In the Community of Madrid there are about 800 youth gang members. 40 percent are minors, according to the Government Delegation.
“These minors are induced by the higher-ranking members to leave their social and family circles for the benefit of the gang, and are in charge of committing illegal activities that serve as a means of financing and to raise the status of power for the gang” , explains the Ministry of the Interior.
These are generally young people from vulnerable family backgrounds, with high rates of school failure and drug use. There are Spaniards and Latin Americans. Many were born in Spain and come from immigrant families.
The authorities keep the gangs in the spotlight, now that they have detected that their activity has not ceased.
JUANITA SAMPER OSPINA
TIME CORRESPONDENT
MADRID
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