Philips ConnorUnfortunately, the list of the 50 most dangerous gangs in the USA is curated based on the numbers of crimes they commit, instead of how heinous the crimes may be. This means gangs that are well-known for their ruthlessness and inhumanity may not necessarily be ranked on top.
For some gangs, it is unclear what their goals are, while for other gangs, they exist as money making organizations; trafficking drugs, engaging in robbery, prostitution, weapons dealing, and so many other crimes.
Gangs take many different forms; including prison gangs, street gangs, and outlaw motorcycle clubs.
Top 50 Most Dangerous Gangs In The USA
1. MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha)
Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, was established in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. the original purpose was to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area. However, as time went on, the gang grew into a criminal organization.
Many members of the gang were deported to El Salvador, helping the gang spread to that country. It is now an international gang, with weapons dealing, murder, and drug trafficking among the crimes it is known for.
MS-13 members are known for their cruelty; some members have been recruited as mercenaries by other gangs looking to protect their turf through violence.
2. 18th Street Gang
18th Street Gang is one of the most powerful gangs in the Los Angeles area. It is also a mostly Hispanic gang with members being mostly Hispanics – Mexicans and central Americans. It is one of the largest gangs in America; with membership estimated to be between 30,000 to 50,000.
With such a large number of members, it is easily one of the most dangerous gangs in the US because their activities can range from individual acts of violence to outright war with other gangs and criminal organizations.
This gang is known to be particularly brutal; its activities have helped make the Central American Northern triangle one of the most dangerous places – as far as homicides are concerned.
3. Mexican Mafia (La Eme)
Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme is the deadliest gang within the Federal Prison System. Despite its name, the gang has no ties to Mexico, but is a purely U.S based street and prison gang. They are responsible for a lot of the murders that take place in the prisons, and they also take part in several other types of violent activities.
Even the words used to describe membership cast a bad light on this organization; “300-500 members, thousands of hitmen within prisons, and 50 thousand loyal foot soldiers to carry out criminal activities. This gang is allied to several organized crime families, and The U.S. Government considers the Mexican Mafia to be “among the most powerful, dangerous and feared criminal organizations in the world.”
4. Nuestra Familia
Nuestra Familia is one of the prison gangs of America, but which is also present in the streets. Its origins are the California area, and the gang is still very strong in the area. Presently, there are thousands of members in the prison system, and thousands more on the streets. The gang was first established to protect themselves from other gangs in the prisons, but soon started participating in criminal activity.
They gang is known for excess use of violence, often as a deterrent to other gangs, so as to keep them away from its turfs. The gang’s members are known to deal in heroine, cocaine, weapons, and other illegal activities. They also regularly extort dealers of these illegal drugs on pain of violence.
5. Aryan Brotherhood
The Aryan Brotherhood is a Neo Nazi criminal organization that operates in the prisons and on the streets. The gang is known within law enforcement circles as the oldest major white supremacist prison gang and a national crime syndicate in America.
Recently, leaders of the gang were found guilty of ordering a series of murders from prison. The gang is also responsible for a disproportionately large number of prison murders.
The gang is involved in several illegal activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, inmate prostitution, and murder-for-hire. As far as murders go, this is one of the most fearsome gangs in the country.
6. Black Guerrilla Family (BGF)
The Black Guerrilla Family, also known as the Black Gorilla Family, is an African American black power prison gang, street gang, and political organization founded in 1966. It may seem strange that someone thought the best place to start a political movement was in prison, but at the time, records show that they really did attempt to pursue political goals.
However, things quickly spiraled out of control, and the gang became involved in all kinds of criminal activity such as prostitution, drug trafficking, murder, and burglary.
Despite its reputation for being deadly, it must be mentioned that a lot of its violence is directed at other organizations with similar political ideals.
7. Texas Syndicate
The Texas Syndicate is a prison gang that originated in the California prison system in the early 1970s. It was formed primarily by Mexican-American inmates from Texas who felt they needed protection from other prison gangs, particularly the Mexican Mafia and Nuestra Familia, both of which were California-based and dominated prison life at the time.
It was founded in the early 1970s, originally at Folsom State Prison, California. the members are Primarily Mexican-American (Tejano) members from Texas. Primary Territory: Texas state prisons, with influence in federal prisons and some presence in street-level activities. Membership: Estimated to be in the thousands, mostly within the prison system.
8. Sureños (Southern California Hispanic Gangs)
The Sureños (Spanish for Southerners) are a large coalition of Hispanic street gangs that originated in Southern California and are affiliated with the Mexican Mafia (La Eme), one of the most powerful prison gangs in the United States.
Founded in the 1960s–1970s in Southern California. Affiliation: Loyal to the Mexican Mafia (La Eme), which controls operations from within California prisons. Ethnicity: Primarily Mexican-American, though some Central American members exist. Territory: Southern California, with strong presence throughout the Southwest U.S., and increasingly across the Midwest and East Coast due to migration and drug trafficking.
9. Norteños (Northern California Hispanic Gangs)
The Norteños (Spanish for Northerners) are a large, loosely affiliated group of Hispanic street gangs based primarily in Northern California, united under allegiance to the prison gang Nuestra Familia (Our Family), a long-standing rival to the Mexican Mafia and the Sureños of Southern California.
Founded: Late 1960s, in California state prisons.
Affiliation: Loyal to Nuestra Familia, a prison gang that was formed to protect Northern California inmates from abuse by Southern Hispanics aligned with the Mexican Mafia.
Ethnicity: Primarily Mexican-American (Chicano) and some Central American members.
10. Crips (Multiple sets)
The Crips is a large gang with multiple sets structured in a loose organization. The Crips are one of the largest and most well-known African-American street gangs in the United States. Founded in Los Angeles, California, in the late 1960s, the Crips have grown into a loosely connected network of individual sets or cliques with thousands of members across the country—and even internationally.
Founded: Around 1969 in South Central Los Angeles. Founders: Raymond Washington and Stanley “Tookie” Williams.
Ethnicity: Primarily African-American, but includes Latino, white, and Asian members in some areas.
Territory: Nationwide (especially in California, Texas, Nevada, New York, and Illinois), with influence in
11. Bloods (Multiple sets)
The Bloods are one of the most well-known and widespread African-American street gangs in the United States. Originating in Los Angeles, California, in the early 1970s, the Bloods were formed primarily as a response to the growing influence and violence of the Crips, their longtime rivals.
Founded: Circa 1972, in South Central Los Angeles.
Origin: Formed as an alliance of smaller gangs for mutual protection against the Crips.
Ethnicity: Primarily African-American, though Latino, white, and Pacific Islander members exist in some areas.
Territory: National reach—especially in California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, and Texas. Also, some international presence (e.g., Canada and Caribbean nations).
Membership: Estimated 25,000–30,000+ members.
12. Latin Kings
The Latin Kings are one of the largest and most well-known Hispanic street gangs in the United States. The full name is the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN). it was founded in the 1950s, in Chicago, Illinois.
the gang is mainly made up of Primarily Latino (mainly Puerto Rican, Mexican, Dominican), but members of other backgrounds have joined. the gang is also
the Latin Kings claims to be an ideological organization with strong political inclinations. Nevertheless, it is involved in several criminal activities.
13. Gangster Disciples
The Gangster Disciples (GD) are one of the most well-known and structured street gangs in the United States, particularly prominent in the Midwest. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
It was founded in the late 1960s by the famous gangster Larry Hoover in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is mostly an African American gang with a kind of cult like disposition.
Its Symbols include the Six-pointed Star of David. The gang has its own literature filled with grand ideologies. Yet it is a criminal organization known for various crimes including; Drug trafficking, Gun violence, Murder, Extortion, Money laundering, and Racketeering.
14. Vice Lords
The Vice Lords are one of the oldest and most notorious street gangs in the United States, with deep roots in Chicago and a history tied to both community activism and violent crime.
The gang is Predominantly African American, and despite some legitimate social initiatives in the 1960s–70s, many Vice Lord factions are involved in several crimes including: Drug trafficking, Armed robbery, Assault and homicide, Extortion and weapons offenses and Organized crime, especially in Chicago.
The gang is classified as a criminal street organization by law enforcement, and several major leaders have been indicted over the years
Other dangerous gangs in the USA include:
15. People Nation (aligned under the 5-point star)
16. Black P. Stones (El Rukns)
17. Bishops
18. El Rukns
19. Four Corner Hustlers
20. Mickey Cobras (formerly Cobra Stones)
21. Folk Nation (aligned under the 6-point star)
22. Satan Disciples
23. La Raza
24. Maniac Latin Disciples (MLD)
25. Insane Spanish Cobras
26. Imperial Gangsters
27. Tiny Rascal Gang (TRG) – Southeast Asian gang
28. Asian Boyz (ABZ)
29. Latin Eagles
30. Zoe Pound – Haitian-American gang
31. Dixie Mafia – Southern U.S. organized crime group
32. Young Slime Life (YSL) – Atlanta-based gang tied to high-profile RICO cases
33. Public Enemy No. 1 (PEN1) – White supremacist
34. Florencia 13 (F13) – Powerful Southern California gang
35. Trinitarios – Dominican gang (notable in NYC)
36. Ñetas – Puerto Rican street and prison gang
37. Latin Counts – Chicago-based Latino gang
38. 5-9 Brims – Blood set (notable in the South and East Coast)
These are parts of larger gangs, but they have their own identity and brands:
39. Norteño; controlled by Nuestra Familia
40. Sureño; controlled by Mexican Mafia (La Eme)
41. Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips (R60s)
42. Rollin’ 30s Harlem Crips
43. Rollin’ 90s Neighborhood Crips
44. Eight Tray Gangster Crips (83GC)
45. Hoover Criminals (Hoover Crips): Some Hoover sets have dropped the “Crip” name and turned against other Crips
46 East Coast Crips
47. Kitchen Crips
48. Main Street Mafia Crips
49. Grape Street Watts Crips
50. Avalon Gangster Crips
Summary
The most dangerous gangs in the USA have earned their reputations via senseless violence; killing indiscriminately, and causing grievous bodily harm to people. While the government has taken a strict stance against these gangs by prescribing tough prison sentences for top members, it has not been able to stamp out gangs and their activities.