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(U) Outlook
(U) Gangs of all types will persist in their
objectives to generate illicit funds and control
territory. And wherever they may fall short
of their goals, gangs on a whole have the
resources and motivations to find alternative
avenues to meet their pursuits. Thus, gangs will
continue to proliferate, evolve in their criminal
abilities, and develop new tradecrafts to ensure
their survival. Gangs will search relentlessly to
increase their involvement in such lucrative
crimes as prostitution and sex trafficking and
will continue to explore opportunities to secure
more territory.
(U) Gang leaders rely primarily on intimidation,
assault, homicide, and other violent measures
to dominate their subordinates and maintain
territorial control. Most gangs employ
aggressive tactics in order to protect their
interests, as brute force is an effective means
to their end. For that reason, gangs will
remain driven by violence and will continue to
compromise the safety of the communities they
inhabit.
(U) Due to the violent and territorial nature of
gangs, as well as their deep-rooted involvement
in drug crimes, gangs will naturally continue to
foster relationships with MTCOs and, wherever
possible, will seek to heighten their role in drug
trafficking. MTCO partnerships are integral
to gang objectives as MTCOs supply gangs
with access to corridors along the US/Mexico
border and extend advantage in the illicit drug
industry, all of which translates to money
and power, the two primary objectives of
gangs. Gang involvement in drug trafficking
activities would diminish in the unlikely event
that drug routes between the US and Mexico
shut down, thereby restricting accessibility into
the United States.
(U) In order to increase profit and widen
their reach, gangs will strive to strengthen
recruitment efforts; develop new methods to
target rivals; and devise different techniques
to thwart gang investigations. Formulating
measures to target rivals and hinder law
enforcement efforts could potentially
lead to rival gangs joining forces; feasibly,
collaborations may rise between gangs and
other criminal organizations. Recruitment
endeavors will inevitably compel gangs to
keep spreading their ideology through such
channels as the Internet.
(U) Street gangs will advance on pace with
technology as members continue to exploit
mechanisms that afford anonymity and instant
communication, such as SGP Technologies’
Blackphone g and Apple and Google cell phone
systems that function to encrypt data. As
social media sites, cell phone applications, and
various other technological platforms progress,
gangs will employ these methods to commit
crimes without detection. 78,79 Gang utilization
of evolving technology presents unique
challenges for law enforcement.
(U) The long-standing culture of prison gangs
will endure as incarcerated leaders continue
to direct street crimes. The cycle between
g (U) The Blackphone is a smart phone developed by SGP Technologies that provides encryption, as well as other security privacy features for phone
calls, e-mails, texts, and Internet browsing by accessing the Internet through a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
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National Gang Intelligence Center
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