Mexican cartel and gang tattoos are becoming more common and can reveal a lot about their wearers. These Tattoos often symbolize loyalty, danger, power, and family importance.
Tattoos with Numbers and Initials
Gang Tattoos frequently feature numbers or initials. For example, 18 signifies membership in the East Coast Mexican Gang (La Eme), while hummingbirds or mariposa represent an affiliation with the Mexican Mafia.
Teardrop Tattoos
Teardrop tattoos are often associated with anti-authoritarian gangs. While some get these Tattoos to signal their membership, others use them as a countercultural statement against societal norms.
Gang Gun Symbols
Tattoos with gun symbols show allegiance to specific gangs and help law enforcement identify members in prison and on the streets. La Eme, Surenos, and Nortenos gangs have unique Tattoos that identify their members.
Skull or Cross Iconography
Tattoos with skull or cross symbols indicate the wearer is armed and prepared for battle. These Tattoos are visible marks of affiliation with criminal organizations such as cartels or gangs dealing drugs and illicit goods.
Symbols of Death
Mexican Mafia tattoos sometimes use satanic symbols to send a specific message. The most recognizable of these symbols for MS-13 is an image of devils with red eyes, representing evil and power. The cross and skull are also widely recognized as symbols of death.
The number 13 is significant for the Mexican Mafia, signifying the gang’s name. They have alliances with the Aryan Brotherhood and shared enemies with Nuestra Familia. The Mexican Mafia began with Mexican-American prisoners in US jails and expanded to become part of a more significant Hispanic gang affiliation based in Southern California.
