Gangs in the United States

Approximately 1.4 million people in the United States were part of gangs as of 2011, and more than 33,000 gangs were active in the country.^[3] These include national street gangs, local street gangs, prison gangs, outlaw motorcycle clubs, and ethnic and organized crime gangs.^[4]

Many American gangs began, and still exist, in urban areas. In many cases, national street gangs originated in major cities such as New York City and Chicago^[5] but they later grew in other American cities like Albuquerque^[6] and Washington, D.C.^[7]

Street gangs can be found all across the United States, with their memberships differing in terms of size, racial and ethnic makeup, and organizational structure. The most significant danger is posed by prominent national street gangs, as they engage in the smuggling, production, transportation, and distribution of substantial amounts of illegal drugs, often resorting to extreme violence. In an attempt to earn recognition from their adversaries, local street gangs frequently emulate the larger and more influential national gangs. Over time, loosely structured street gangs pose a growing threat by expanding their involvement in drug trafficking, especially in the smuggling of drugs into the United States, and establishing connections with international criminal groups and drug trafficking organizations (DTOs).^[8]