An annual state assessment of threats posed by gangs reports a new gang poses the top threat to the state.
The newly released Texas Gang Threat Assessment reports Tango Blast, estimated at 10,000 members, has displaced the 6,000-member Texas Mexican Mafia atop the threat list.
It says Tango Blast is the biggest gang in the Houston area and maintains a heavy presence in Dallas-Fort Worth, as does the white-supremacist Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.
It also reports Mexican cartels are using Texas gangs to help smuggle drugs, people, weapons and cash across the border and conduct violence in both Texas and Mexico. It says Texas gang activity is growing, with more than 100,000 members of more than 2,500 gangs identified throughout the state.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
