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(U) Gangs and Extremist Groups
(U) Gangs provide fertile grounds for
recruitment by extremist groups, including
black separatist extremists, e white supremacist
extremists, and sovereign citizen extremists. f
Recruiting gang members enables these groups
to expand and spread their doctrine. Gangs
then use these groups and their teachings for
a number of reasons, including the ability to
exploit Freedom of Religion rights; to increase
membership and collaboration with other
criminal organizations; and to respond to
perceived injustices by attempting to enact
social change, often by engaging in criminal
activity.
(U) Approximately one-quarter of jurisdictions
and 44 percent of correctional facilities report
gang members in their jurisdiction joined
extremist groups. 51 OMG members, for
example, continue to establish and maintain
relationships with domestic extremist groups. 52
Traditionally all-white OMGs and predominantly
African American OMGs were both identified
as associating with white supremacist groups
and black separatist groups, respectively.
Some gang members may also adhere to antigovernment
ideologies, for example claiming
sovereign citizen status to escape criminal
charges or indictment.
(U) Black Separatist Extremists
(U) Over the past two years, gangs have
increasingly adopted and incorporated black
separatist extremist ideologies, using these
(U) Source: FBI.
(U) Bumper sticker containing sovereign citizen rhetoric.
teachings to advance the gang, justify criminal
activities, or create new organizations.
(U) White Supremacist Extremists
(U) Driven by their belief in their superiority,
white supremacist groups attempt to recruit
gang members with similar ideologies. White
supremacist groups work with gangs to facilitate
illegal activity and to advance their cause.
(U) Anti-Government Indoctrination
(U) FBI reporting and survey data results
reveal some gang members embrace antigovernment
philosophies and refuse to
recognize the authority of the US Government.
e (U) Black separatist extremists are individuals or groups who seek a separation from the non-black US population wholly or in part through the use of
force or violence in violation of federal law.
f (U) Sovereign citizen extremists are US citizens who reject their US citizenship and seek to advance their beliefs through force or violence, in violation of
federal law.
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2015 NATIONAL GANG REPORT 31