The Texas Department of Public Safety has released its 2012 Gang Threat Assessment, providing an overview of gang activity throughout the state.
The annual report says that current gang membership across Texas likely surpasses 100,000 individuals – and it's still increasing.“While gangs continue to pose a significant threat to public safety in Texas, we are committed to protecting the people of Texas from these criminals,” DPS Director Steven McCraw says.
With more than 10,000 gang members, Tango Blast was named the biggest gang in Texas. It's biggest in the Houston area, while also keeping a heavy presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
“We know that gangs are one of the top organized-crime threats to the state of Texas,” said Sen. Craig Estes, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Homeland Security.
The DPS assessment also says that some of Texas’ most powerful gangs have formed strong ties with Mexican cartels, increasing violence in both Texas and Mexico.
