U.S. Gangs are Big and Dangerous Business and making alliances in other states and countries
By Michael Webster: Investigative Reporter

August 9, 2008 - 15:45:38 - United States gangs are expanding their sphere of influence here and around the world. Many gangs are much more sophisticated now days and are run much like military units and corporations and therefore are much more of a threat to law enforcement as well as citizens.

U.S. gangs have forged illegal business connections with other gangs in the states as well as in Mexico and Afghanistan seeking more lucrative drug markets.

These alliances make them much more dangerous and this organization is much more threatening. Many of the American gangs buy or are fronted drugs from the new alliances from as far away as Afghanistan where drug trades and whole selling take place. This proliferation and gangs adoption of terrorist tactic’s is worldwide and is increasingly accompanied by beheadings, shootings, kidnappings and other extreme violence and is threatening society in general.

It is estimated that there are 25,000 or more gangs currently operating in the U.S. and more than 1,000.000 active gang members. Most current gang members in the U.S. are believed to possess automatic AK 47’s, shot guns, hand guns, other weapons such as explosives and police report confiscating more and more bullet proof vests. Gangs conduct all sorts of criminal activity in all 50 states, U.S. territories, Mexico, South America, Afghanistan and else where. Although most gang activity is concentrated in major urban areas, gangs also are proliferating in rural and suburban areas of the country.

Operation Community Shield that was begun in February 2005 to dismantle street gangs is hard at work but many feel it’s been a losing battle. The Department of Homeland Security said the program had led to about 7,500 arrests involving violent gangs, including Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, whose members are from El Salvador, Honduras and other Central American countries.

About 1,300 violent gang members who are in this country illegally were arrested in the last couple of years in U.S. Government crackdowns, federal officials announced. “We’ve arrested quite a number of very serious criminals - individuals who frankly have worn out their welcome by coming into this country illegally and committing more crimes when they got here,â€