EL MONTE FLORES
Founded1950 (1950)
Founding locationEl Monte, California, United States
Years active1950–present
TerritoryEl Monte, South El Monte and the San Gabriel Valley
EthnicityChicano (Mexican American)
Membership (est.)400[1]
ActivitiesDrug trafficking, assault, robbery, extortion, arms trafficking, theft, murder, hate crimes, racketeering, money laundering, and fraud
AlliesMexican Mafia[2]
Sureños[3]
RivalsBassett Grande and NS/ES Bolen[4]

El Monte Flores, also known as EMF,[5] is a Mexican-American criminal street gang based in California. It is the largest Hispanic gang in San Gabriel Valley[6] and one of the oldest in Los Angeles County.[7]

History

Also known as EMF, the gang has had an estimated 1,000 members since it was formed in the 1940s. The gang claims South El Monte, El Monte, North El Monte, and Mayflower Village as its turf. The gang's name comes from the Barrio Las Flores, named for the flower field & nurseries in the El Monte area.

El Monte Flores is now part of a larger organization and pays "taxes" or "tribute" to the Mexican Mafia or "La eMe," a powerful prison-based gang who controls the majority of Latino gangs in Southern California.

Location

Police reports have suggested that their reach has even been seen in Victorville, California, Arizona, Washington (state), New Mexico, Chicago, Florida. The original cliques are in El Monte, California, as well as South El Monte, but like many gangs, members are beginning to migrate to various other cities and states across the country. A chapter has even been established in Seattle, Washington.[8][9] El Monte Flores still maintains a strong hold in their original territory despite repeated attempts from law enforcement to break the gang. El Monte Flores claims all of El Monte, California, South El Monte, California, North El Monte, California, & Mayflower Village, California but is most active east of the Rio Hondo River, mainly in the southern portion of the city. Major hangouts include the San Gabriel Valley Boys & Girls Club, Dead-End ValeWood, Little 5 Points liquor, Dead-End Dodson, Wild Flower St, Legg Lake Park, Alpaca St, Valley Mall, Arceo Park, Dee st , Zamora Park, Mountain View Park, Dead-End CogsWell, Fletcher Park, Maxson St, Dead-End MooreHouse, Continental St, Central St, Dead-End Sastre, Potrero St, New Temple Park, Lambert Park, Mansion Trailers, Parkway Dr, and the KlingerMan-BonWood Apartments.[10]

Culture

Even though El Monte Flores are a Sureño gang and use the number 13 (to denote the 13th letter, M, in the alphabet.)[11] they are rivals with a variety of other Sureño gangs. Members usually tattoo the words, "Monte Flores", "El Monte F", "Flores", "EMF", "EMFxTMS" on them. XIII, X3, 13 and 3 dots are also seen with Sureño gang members and their colors are blue and gray. Like all Sureños once they are in the prison system they set aside their rivalry and unite under the Sureño Banner and are controlled by La eMe.

Criminal activity

The El Monte Flores gang has been documented being involved in various criminal activity, and is one of the largest and most notorious gangs in Southern California. Their main source of income is from the illegal sale of heroin, crystal meth, cocaine, marijuana, prostitution, ecstasy, & PCP. EMF gang-members are well known for trafficking in illegal narcotics, along with other crimes like battery to murder, as well as robbery, burglary, carjacking, witness intimidation, kidnapping, weapons trafficking, credit card fraud and identity theft, racketeering, drug and weapons-related charges, money laundering & hate crimes against blacks.

In May 2016, EMF gang member Christian "Bossy" Lafargo, aged 30, was sentenced to 210 months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including racketeering, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and the unlawful discharging a firearm.[7]

In October 2016, Kenneth Cofer, 37, and John Rivera, 54, were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years and 10 months, respectively after pleading guilty to racketeering and drug charges.[12]

On July 10, 2017, Alfredo Rodriguez (EMF member) and another felon shot to death Kofu Ofakitonga outside his residence when he confronted them about littering in front of his home, based on police reports.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "El Monte street gang is one the area's largest, oldest; Ben Baeder; Dailybreeze.com". Daily Breeze. 14 May 2009.
  2. ↑ 41 people tied to El Monte gang linked to Mexican Mafia are indicted Caitlin Owens, Los Angeles Times (July 30, 2014)
  3. ↑ Oldie But Baddie: El Monte Flores Gang Richard Valdemar, policemag.com (May 20, 2009)
  4. ↑ "PEOPLE v. LOPEZ | No. B229658. | 20111229023 | Leagle.com". Leagle.
  5. ↑ "Gangs in the United States - Internet Accuracy Project". Accuracyproject.org. 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  6. ↑ "El Monte street gang is one the area's largest, oldest - SGVTribune.com". Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  7. 1 2 "El Monte Flores Gang Member Sentenced to 210 months in Federal Prison on Multiple Racketeering Charges". Department of Justice - U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2015-06-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "EMF's reach". Nwgangs.com. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "The People v. Jose Luis Cabrera : Super. Ct. No. KA 082081". Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  11. ↑ "The Rise of Sur 13". Corrections.com. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Day, Brian (14 October 2016). "Mexican Mafia 'shotcaller,' two other El Monte gang members sentenced in racketeering case". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  13. ↑ Palmer, Melissa (10 July 2017). "Fontana neighbor shot in front of his property". KTLA 5 News. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
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