"We deal in drugs, contracts of assassination, prostitution, robberies of the highest degree, gambling extortion, weapons or any and every other thing criminally imaginable," http://organizedcrime.about.com/library/weekly/aa082002a.htm The Mexican Mafia From its humble beginnings as a prison gang in Texas, the Mexican Mafia has taken its bloody business far beyond the prison walls. In the first RICO prosecution of a prison gang, prosecutors brought a two-count RICO case against the top tier of La Eme, including Huerta, who was in prison in Colorado at the time of the French Place slayings. The fact that he was still directing his gang from several hundred miles away allowed prosecutors to charge Huerta as a conspirator. After a high-profile trial, Perez, Herrera and the eight other defendants who went to trial (the others plea bargained) were convicted on federal racketeering charges and given life terms with no chance of parole. Despite the decimation of the highest ranking Mexikaneme, the Mexican Mafia remains to this day a formidable organized crime operation with branches throughout the American Southwest on both sides of prison walls. Jim bell charged with Operation Soft drill direction? Only in america. Did You Know? Judges at the state and federal level issued a total of 1,491 wiretap authorizations -- the lion's share came from state judges, according to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts's 2001 Wiretap Report, issued at the end of May. Tap in here... 2 peso's for the head of the shrub.