Avenues (gang)

Avenues
Avenues (AVES) depicted in blue among other North-East Los Angeles gangs. Toonerville is green, Thee Rascals is black, Frogtown is red and Cypress Park in yellow.
Founded1920s
Founding locationLos Angeles, California, United States
Years active1920s–present
TerritoryMainly in Los Angeles (Highland Park, Cypress Park, Glassell Park, and Eagle Rock)[1]
EthnicityMexican American/Native American
Membership (est.)800[2]
ActivitiesMurder,[3] assault, arms trafficking, drug trafficking,[4] extortion, hate crimes, kidnapping, racketeering, motor vehicle theft, robbery, burglary, vandalism, witness intimidation and human trafficking
AlliesMexican Mafia[5]
Sureños[6]
Rivals18th Street gang[7]
Satanas[8]

The Avenues, also known as Avenidas or AVE's, is a Mexican/Mexican American criminal street gang mostly in Los Angeles County, California. They originally started as a social club for local Latino youths to protect themselves from other violent youths. The Avenues, like most Mexican gangs in Los Angeles, are under the direct control of the Mexican Mafia when sent to State, County, or Federal prisons.

  1. ^ Boxall, B. (2012). "Avenues gang has a long, violent history in Los Angeles | Street Gangs Resource Center". streetgangs.com. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  2. ^ Avenues of death Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly (July 14, 2005)
  3. ^ "Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council –". historichighlandpark.org. 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  4. ^ Quinones, S. (February 8, 2010). "Former shot-caller is now spilling gang's secrets". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ Avenues gang leader gets 25 years for racketeering KABC-TV (October 27, 2013)
  6. ^ The fascinating history of the Sureño Mongol, Ruben Cavazos Andrew Eways, police1.com (February 20, 2015)
  7. ^ The Avenues: Highland Park Gang KCET (November 14, 2011)
  8. ^ Philippine Gang Member Convicted in 2 Slayings Robert W. Stewart, Los Angeles Times (July 17, 1985)