Calle 18 is considered the largest gang in Los Angeles, California, and is a strong armed Latino transnational criminal gang.
It is estimated that thousands of members in the county of Los Angeles. There are about 200 independent bands autonomous individual operating under the same label in separate neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay, South Los Angeles, downtown Los Angeles, Pico-Union, Inglewood, Cudahy and Orange County, according to latest figures from the list of publications.
Its wide range of activities and elevated status has even caught the attention of the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which recently launched large-scale raids against known and suspected gang net hundreds of arrests across the country.
Although most members are Mexican, membership is open to other sources, including Central America, Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Caucasus. Calle 18 has an organized hierarchy. It is not known who is at the top.
On the streets, are the Shotcallers, their lieutenants and foot soldiers-under them. Although the band is well networked throughout the Los Angeles, there is no leadership known national or international. Cliques generally function independently, but are united in the fight against rival gangs or law enforcement.
