Founded 1980 | Territory Southern California | |
Founding location Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, California, United States Years active 1980-present (street-level) (Organized crime) Ethnicity Chinese and Chinese/ Vietnamese Criminal activities Extortion, Counterfeiting, prostitution, money laundering, drug trafficking, racketeering, murder, assault, robbery, arms trafficking, auto theft, and burglary | ||
The Black Dragons (traditional Chinese: 黑龍） is a Chinese/American Triad (secret society) and street gang that was formed in 1980 by Chinese immigrants in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, California. It was started by a group of young men who bounded together to protect themselves from other Asian and Hispanic gangs. The Black Dragons operated in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley for over two decades. At the gang's peak, it had over 100 core members.
The gang preyed on the Asian American communities as a source of income and is unique compared to other Asian crime groups as they were involved in both organized and street-level crime. The revenue from organized crime came mainly from extorting brothels, prostitution, money laundering, the distribution of narcotics, and counterfeiting merchandise. At street-level, the gang was involved in a wide range of crimes that included murder, robbery, and car theft.
The Black Dragons' influence was strong in the San Gabriel Valley, during the mid-1990s until its downfall in 2002. The gang gained the attention of federal authorities because of their involvement in violent criminal activities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened a case against the Black Dragons in 1999. The FBI soon created the Black Dragon Task force and the three-year investigation led to the convictions of multiple gang members, stemming from murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, extortion, illegal possession of firearms and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges. The gang was taken down in one of the largest gang sweeps of 2002, as federal agents simultaneously raided and arrested 30 of its core members.
It's an Asian gang with a history of violence identified as a top threat by various law enforcement agencies, according to FBI Agent Kerry Smith, who heads a unit that targets Asian criminal enterprise and violent crime. The unit is based out of the FBI's West Covina office. "These guys weren't afraid to commit violence," Smith said. The Black Dragons currently run LA's Tsing Xing Super Dragon District.