Транснациональная преступная группировка "Calle 18" (или "18th Street Gang")

Transnational criminal gang

| rivals =
| notable members =

The 18th Street Gang, also known as Calle 18, Barrio 18, Mara 18, or simply 18 in North America, is a multi ethnic (largely Central American and Mexican) transnational criminal organization that started as a street gang in Los Angeles. It is one of the largest transnational criminal gangs in Los Angeles, with 30,000 50,000 members between the United States, Mexico, and Central America and is also allied with the Mexican Mafia, another US based crime organization. A United States Department of Justice report featured the following statement regarding 18th Street and rival gang MS 13, "These two gangs have turned the Central American northern triangle into the area with the highest homicide rate in the world."

The 18th Street Gang was formed in the Rampart District of Los Angeles in the 1960s by Mexican Americans and other immigrant youths who were not accepted into existing Hispanic gangs. The two gangs have been bitter rivals ever since. When Central American gang members were arrested in the United States, they were then deported back to Central America where the gang rose out of control on different levels of violence not just in El Salvador, but in Honduras and Guatemala as well, becoming one of the most violent gangs in Central America. 18th Street later became a bitter rival of MS 13 as both gangs wanted the top spot in Central America. Members of 18th Street are mainly Mexican, Salvadoran, Honduran, and Guatemalan, but the gang does have members from other parts of Central America. 18th Street influences have recently been spotted in Belize as well. In El Salvador a faction called the "Revolucionarios" ("Revolutionaries") split off 18th Street in 2005, becoming rivals with the other members, who came to be known as the "Sureños" ("Southerners.")

The majority of 18th Street cliques operate throughout Southern California, but are active in other states and internationally as well. Los Angeles members began migrating to other areas outside California and started to establish their own gangs. 18th Street gangs are active in 44 cities in 20 U. S. states,

The organization of the 18th Street Gang differs from location to location. With the gang being spread so vastly nationally and internationally, it is difficult to have a universal organizational structure. The gang is organized in such a way that allows for leadership at every level. One common organizational structure seen used by Barrio 18 is as follows. At the very top are “palabreros” or “leaders,” a majority of these members are in prison, but still help run the gang by coordinating all criminal activities. “Palabreros” also exist outside of the prison and are known as “en la libre.” Lastly, there are civilians who are known as collaborators. They are not officially gang members, but they are responsible for helping the gang with small jobs, like obtaining intelligence, and moving or holding illicit goods. The 18th Street Gang also designates positions in their organizational structure in another way. In this structure, at the top are the leaders, known as the “toros,” meaning bull. Underneath each “toro” is a clica, which is led by a “homie.” Under each “homie” are the “soldados,” meaning soldiers. Outside of the prisons, Barrio 18 is organized into divisions based on territory called “canchas.” The gang is horizontal in structure, allowing for a more decentralized approach to things. Although, overall 18th Street Gang is not very organized compared to some other modern day gangs. Women were also able to join the gang, but were treated very poorly. The women that joined the gang had three ways to do so, first was an 18 second beating, second was sexual intercourse with multiple members, and the last option was being the girlfriend or wife of a member can potentially lead to membership over time. The women were expected to take on male associated roles often involving violence, as well as playing more of a mother role by caring for children and taking care of the sick.

18th Street Gang members are required to abide by a strict set of rules. Failure to obey the word of a gang leader, or to show proper respect to a fellow gang member, may result in an 18 second beating, or even execution for more serious offenses. According to the FBI, some factions of the 18th Street Gang have developed a high level of sophistication and organization. 18th Street Gang members often identify themselves with the number 18 on their clothing and sporting clothing from sports teams such as the Duke Blue Devils, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Kings, and Las Vegas Raiders. 18th Street will use the symbols XV3, XVIII, X8, 666, 99, and 3 dots in their graffiti and tattoos. 18th Street colors are blue and black; blue is to represent and to pay tribute to The Mexican Mafia, and black is to represent the original color for the gang. The 18th Street Gang is occasionally referred to as the "Children's Army" because of its recruitment of elementary and middle school aged youth. They also allow other ethnicities to join their ranks making the gang multi ethnic. In El Salvador it is common for members of the gang to be tattooed on the face with a large "18". In many cases the tattoo covers the entire face. In California, the majority of the 18th Street gang's members are illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America.

The most lucrative activity of the 18th Street gang is street level distribution of cocaine and marijuana, and to a lesser extent, heroin and methamphetamine. The gang is also involved in auto theft, carjacking, drive by shootings, extortion, identification fraud, robbery, assault and homicide. 18th Street Gang has also been implicated in the high profile kidnapping and murder of the 16 year old brother of internationally renowned Honduran football player Wilson Palacios. In 1998, Catarino Gonzalez was sentenced to life in prison after a jury convicted Gonzalez of first degree murder for fatally shooting Officer Filbert Cuesta in the back of the head, while the officer was sitting in a patrol car. Kingston, New York police arrested and jailed several young men on the charge that they abducted a victim, took him to nearby woods, and murdered him. They were held on federal murder and racketeering charges. In 2019, an 18th Street gangster was fatally shot by a member of rival gang MS 13 in a Queens subway station. In Guatemala City, many bus drivers have been killed by 18th Street Gang members that drove through the alleged territory of the gang. Bus drivers were often victims of robberies and extortion. In one particular case the bus owners refused to pay the gang; a few moments later, a young man, the son of one of Libertad's bus owners, was driving his bus along Route 4, which ran from the terminal down to the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala in the southern part of the city. As he passed through Zone 6, two men flagged down the bus. They boarded it and shot the driver in the head killing him instantly.