Asian Boyz

Asian Boyz
Foundedlate 1980s[1]
Founding locationLong Beach, California, United States[2]
Years activelate 1980s–present
Territory14 U.S. states[3]
EthnicityCambodian American,[3][4] Vietnamese American,[4]
Filipino American[4]
ActivitiesDrug trafficking, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, and homicide[3]
AlliesCrips[5]
Menace of Destruction[2]
RivalsBloods[6]
East Side Longos[7]
Smiley Dragon[8]
Tiny Rascal Gang[9]
Crazy Brother Clan[10]
Vietnamese Boyz[11]
Wah Ching[1]

The Asian Boyz, also known as ABZ, AB-26, or ABZ Crips,[12] are a street gang based in Southern California.[13] They were founded in the late 1980s to protect[14][15] Cambodian refugees from other American gangs.[16][17] The gang has about 2,000 member to 5,000 active members in Long Beach, who are Southeast Asian, predominantly Cambodian.[12] Many Asian Boyz are also members of the U.S. military, some of whom use their position to traffic drugs.[15] According to the FBI's 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment, the Asian Boyz are active in 28 different cities in 14 different states across the U.S.[3]

  1. ^ a b Larrubia, Evelyn. "Asian Boyz Face Group Trial in Spate of Killings". www.latimes.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Sweeping probe details ruthless rise of a new gang in D.C.'s suburbs". Washington Post. August 20, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d National Drug Intelligence Center (January 2009). "National Gang Threat Assessment 2009". FBI. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  4. ^ a b c Leibowitz, Barry. (March 31, 2011). "Asian Boyz gang founder Marvin Mercado gets life, no parole from Calif. judge". Retrieved March 6, 2020. The gang had Cambodian, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Filipino, Indian factions and included three cliques in the suburbs of Los Angeles and one in San Jose.
  5. ^ "Asian Boyz Crips". 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  6. ^ Derek J. Moore (March 15, 2008). "Ruthless Asian gangs blaze trail of violence Killing in Jenner casts spotlight on ultraviolent syndicates with roots in Long Beach". Press Democrat. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014.
  7. ^ "As Cultures Meet, Gang War Paralyzes a City in California". New York Times. May 6, 1991. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  8. ^ LaDuca, Rocco. Asian Boyz gang member from Utica stopped at Canadian border, Utica Observer-Dispatch, May 16, 2013.
  9. ^ Hal Marcovitz; Dennis Dressang (2010). Gangs. ABDO. p. 33. ISBN 9781604539547. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  10. ^ Kevin Starr (2011). Coast of Dreams. Random House. p. 83. ISBN 9780307795267. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  11. ^ Laviana, Hurst (September 9, 2013). "Detective says 2011 homicide is third involving feuding gangs". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Asian Boyz Crips". 2013-07-23. Archived from the original on 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "Asian Boyz gang founder Marvin Mercado gets life, no parole from Calif. Judge". CBS News. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
  15. ^ a b "Asian Gangs & Why Join One". web. Stanford.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  16. ^ WILLWERTH, JAMES (2001-06-24). "From Killing Fields to Mean Streets". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  17. ^ Chan, Sucheng (2003). Not just victims : conversations with Cambodian community leaders in the United States. Kim, Audrey U. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 99. ISBN 025202799X. OCLC 49942929.