Posted on 05/19/2006 2:49:05 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
One of the suspects sought to join Texas Syndicate, affidavit states
A Port Isabel fisherman was lured to his death in a West Brownsville park late Monday during a man’s initiation into a Texas prison gang, according to court records released Thursday.
Brownsville police on Wednesday arrested Jose Miguel Vasquez Jr., 39, and Andres Garcia, 25, on murder charges in the stabbing death of 47-year-old George Garza.
A probable cause affidavit released after their Thursday morning arraignment states that the two men used a knife to stab Garza to death as part of Garcia’s initiation into the Texas Syndicate prison gang.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Intelligence Service, the Texas Syndicate was founded in the early 1970s by Mexican-American inmates from Texas who were housed in California’s Folsom Prison.
“The Mexican-American inmates originating from Texas have always been the most feared due to their fierce loyalty to one another, above all else,” officials said in a DPS report.
Ana Ayala, Vasquez’s girlfriend and co-defendant in several recent robberies, told police that Garza was a member of the rival Valluco prison gang and that Vasquez and Garcia lured Garza to Oliveira Park under the pretense of a business deal involving several pounds of marijuana.
Police records state that Ayala and Vasquez are believed to be responsible for a three-day string of robberies and other violent crimes that ended with their arrests Wednesday after an alleged purse snatching.
Ayala told investigators that Garza picked up her and Vasquez in his truck Monday night and that the three of them went to Garcia’s house in the 1300 block of West Washington Street.
Vasquez and Garcia told Garza that they had stashed several pounds of marijuana in a field off Wildrose Lane.
The four drove in Garza’s truck and Garcia’s car to Oliveira Park, where Vasquez allegedly bound Ayala with duct tape inside the truck before leaving with Garza and Garcia in Garcia’s car.
The 18-year-old woman told police that Vasquez returned to the truck covered in mud and blood and then told her that he and Garcia killed Garza as part of Garcia’s initiation into the Texas Syndicate.
The affidavit states that “Jose Miguel Vasquez showed her a knife that still had blood on it and that he licked the blood off the blade and then licked her cheek with the blood.”
Vasquez, Ayala and Garcia returned to Garcia’s West Washington Street home to clean up, and Vasquez burned his clothes in the back yard.
Brownsville Independent School District maintenance workers found Garza’s body in a ditch along the westbound lane of Wildrose Lane at 6:50 a.m. Tuesday.
Garza was face down in the mud and with 13 stab wounds to the chest, back and arms.
Cracking the Case
Brownsville Police Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique said a series of clues from five different violent crimes led investigators to bring murder charges against Vasquez and Garcia.
Police reports state that Vasquez and Ayala were implicated in the theft of a motor vehicle off Austin Road on Sunday and for the stabbing of a man in a robbery near the city’s airport late Monday afternoon.
The couple allegedly carjacked a good Samaritan who stopped to help them on East 30th Street Monday night.
Vasquez and Ayala were seen driving Garza’s red Ford F-150 during another crime in the Southmost area Tuesday morning.
Manrrique said investigators believe the couple committed the crimes to “feed an expensive and addictive crack habit.”
The couple was arrested on Wednesday morning after they tried to rob a woman selling tamales at the AutoZone at the corner of Central Boulevard and Jefferson Street, police said.
A passing police officer arrested Ayala in the parking lot of the store while Vasquez was found hiding in an outdoor utility closet of the nearby Tropical Motel.
Manrrique said police recovered a knife in a vehicle that the couple had used during their crime spree, but that authorities sent the weapon to a lab to determine if it was the knife used to kill Garza.
The Charges
Jail records show that Vasquez is being held under $1.25 million in cash bonds for aggravated assault, robbery, state jail felony theft and murder charges.
Garcia is being held under a $750,000 cash bond for murder, while Ayala remains in custody under $150,000 in bonds for aggravated assault and robbery charges.
Manrrique said Vasquez and Ayala could face more charges for their “Bonnie and Clyde” spree.
Under state law, Vasquez and Garcia could face capital murder charges and the death penalty if authorities determine that they received payment or another type of benefit or remuneration for committing the crime.
During his Thursday morning arraignment before Brownsville Municipal Judge Phil Bellamy, Vasquez entered the courtroom handcuffed and shackled but with his head held high and a strut in his walk.
Vasquez proudly flashed a gang sign to news cameras and later used his hand to twirl a loose part of a chain around his waist during the proceedings.
Vasquez twice told Bellamy he was a “Tejano” when asked about his citizenship.
Cameron County Chief Deputy Gus Reyna said Vasquez and Garcia would be segregated from the general population of the Cameron County jail for their own safety and the safety of other inmates.
schapa@brownsvilleherald.com
Paging President Bush!
Tejano Ping!
Isn't that romantic? That is soooo special. /sarcasm
just licking the bloody knives Americans weren't willing to lick...
What has Bush got to do with it. The article states they were americans.
Not Americans, eastforker.
Tejano, that means texan.
Jose Miguel Vasquez Jr........How many Mexicans do you know called junior? I have seen you equate most eveyone with a spanish name as Mexican or hint they are illegal. Give it a break why don' Lets see, the victim had a spanish name also, you think he might have been illegal?t you, there are American criminals as well. Gacey, Manson and others come to mind.Lets see, the victim had a spanish name also, you think he might have been illegal? Don't you know spanish names are quite common in south Texas, Geez give it a break.
We have plenty of native criminals....no need to import anymore regardless of their heritage...right?
My point exactly, I doubt he was imported or illegal, just a common punk scum bag with a spanish name. You want to start painting everyone with an Italian name as a mafia member? Or how bout as a Nazi cuz he has a German name?
You want to call them Texans?
Texas Syndicate
Gender Makeup: Male
Racial Makeup: Mexican-American/ Hispanic
Origin: The TS originated in Folsom prison, in California in the early 70s.
It was established in direct response to the other California prison gangs (notably the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia), which were attempting to prey on native Texas inmates.
Characteristics:
* Membership is rising nationally due to recruitment.
* The TS now accepts members from Latin American countries such as Columbia, Cuba, and Mexico.
* They have made attempts to recruit in the Florida Department of Corrections.
* A TS member is called a "Carnal."
* A group of members is called "Carnales."
* A TS recruit is called a "Cardinal."
* The institutional leader is called the "Chairman."
Identifiers/Symbols:
* They have tattoos with a "TS" located somewhere in the design; sometimes requires close scrutiny.
* The tattoos are generally located on the back of the right forearm, but they have also been found on the outside calf areas, neck, and chest.
Enemies/Rivals:
* Aryan Brotherhood
* La Nuestra Familia
* Mexican Mafia
* Mexikanemi
* Mandingo Warriors
Allies:
The TS has developed associations with the Texas Mafia and Dirty White Boys.
Propensity for Disruptive Behavior:
* There is some representation in the Florida Department of Corrections.
* The TS has been found to be recruiting.
* The history of the group and documented acts of violence in other jurisdictions warrant their certification as a Security Threat Group.
* Receipt of inmates on interstate compact and the current membership in groups with Hispanic and Latino supremacy ideology lend to the threat of an organizing TS within our facilities.
* The main activities of the TS are centered around drug trafficking, extortion, pressure rackets, and internal discipline.
They called themselves Texans. If he was born here he is an American. Now tell me how that is Bush's fault and why you feel you have to bash him {Bush} over something that is an internal problem? Yes we have scum bag gangs in this country of all races and denominations that were born here so quit eqauting everything into an immigration thread.
This TS doesn't even consider himself to be an American, why should I?
Did you read #11?
* The TS now accepts members from Latin American countries such as Columbia, Cuba, and Mexico.
How do you think they get here, eastforker?
My point being is there was nothing, not one thing indicating this guy or any of the people involved were illegal yet your first post was to bust Bush's balls. This is a prison gang thing not an illegal immigration story. Or is it maybe you would like everyone with a spanish name sent back to mexico, is that it? It just seems you enjoy fueling the fire against Bush.
"Now tell me how that is Bush's fault and why you feel you have to bash him {Bush} over something that is an internal problem? "
Because if he was born in Texas he was most likely born an anchor baby and Bush wants more of those.
Yes I did and it said.............t was established in direct response to the other California prison gangs (notably the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia), which were attempting to prey on native Texas inmates. ......... You read that, native Texans.
An anchor baby huh, How do you know he isn't 3rd or fourth generation? So I guess you are gonna start demonizing all spanish people now.
"Paging President Bush!"
Is busting Bush's balls?
The context in wich you used it I would say, yes. You confused the word Tejano with Mexican and jumped to conclusions.
Are you saying Presidente Bush is only responsible for illegal aliens and not internal Tejano problems?
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