Ñeta is an international Puerto Rican prison and street gang. Although there is not a consensus on how to identify prison and street gangs, Ñeta features several identifiers that a gang typically possesses: Its members engage in criminal behavior inside and outside prisons, it has an organizational hierarchy and strict rules, and it uses several types of symbolic colors and words to illustrate membership. This article on Ñeta provides an overview of the association, including information on its history, meaning of its name, symbols and rituals, organizational structure, and ends by reviewing some law enforcement criticisms of the association.
Ñeta, also known as Ñetas, Asociación Ñeta in Spanish, or “Association Ñeta” in English, began as a prison gang that evolved into a street gang and continues to grow and spread throughout the world as a criminal enterprise. It has been characterized as a prisoners’ rights group, an inmates’ rights movement, and a pro-inmate rights association, even identifying as Asociacion Pro-Derecho Al Confinando, which translates to the “ProRights Association.” In addition, as a Puerto Rican group, it is known to be sympathetic to ideas of political independence for Puerto Rico and political recognition from the U.S. government.
However, the National Institute of Corrections and the National Gang Crime Research Center have identified Ñeta as a security threat group, which is typically defined as a group of at least three people who conspire to engage in fear, intimidation, and disruptive and criminal acts. Although Ñeta’s membership originated in Puerto Rico, it is now global; its membership is estimated at tens of thousands of members in Puerto Rico and in the United States and approximately 10,000 members in other parts of the world including Asia and Latin America. As is typical of gangs, tracking definitive membership numbers is difficult because the association is secretive about members, and there is a sophisticated vetting process for recruits. In the United States, Ñeta primarily resides in the Northeast, including New Jersey, New York, and the rest of New England.
History
Ñeta was formed in the late 1970s by Carlos Torrez Irriarte, also known as La Sombra, or the Shade and Maximum Leader, and other Puerto Rican prisoners in Oso Blanco Maximum Security Prison, which is located in Rio Piedras, San Juan, and Puerto Rico. In the 1970s, the Oso Blanco prison system was understaffed and overcrowded. Early members of Ñeta claim the group was born out of the necessity for survival in the violent prison environment. Because of a lack of guards, prisoners governed themselves, and survivability rested on the formation of gangs for protection.
Before Ñeta was founded, the Puerto Rican prisons were controlled by Grupo 27 (Group 27). Ñeta formed to combat Grupo 27 (whom it called Insectos) and the abuses of non-gang-affiliated prisoners. In other words, Ñeta’s formation was intended to provide a mutual protection group against Grupo 27. Members of Ñeta united against Grupo 27 because Grupo 27 became powerful and preyed on new prisoners. Irriarte and others were threatened and disagreed with Grupo 27 policies and practices, such as the rape of other prisoners and theft. On March 30, 1981, Irriarte was killed by Grupo 27 to stop Ñeta’s growth. Ñeta retaliated and murdered the leader of Grupo 27. The legend and notoriety of Ñeta grew when members dismembered the Grupo 27 leader and mailed his body parts to prison administrations and his mother as a sign of its power.
By the early 1990s, Ñeta had spread to prisons in the United States including Attica, San Quentin, Auburn, and many prisons in New York City and the state of New Jersey. In the 1990s, Ñeta members, upon parole from prison, spread Ñeta to the streets of the United States, and within a few years, Ñeta street gang members established themselves in several illegal economic ventures on the East Coast. By quickly recruiting outside of prisons, the street gang members extended Ñeta’s reach even more. The police in the areas where Ñeta is established have documented that the association claimed it was community based while simultaneously participating in illegal lucrative tasks such as selling illegal narcotics.
Meaning of Ñeta
The origin of the name Ñeta possibly comes from the Taino language of the indigenous Taino Indians, who resided on the island of Puerto Rico, among other regions. During the Taino baptism, the baptized child was called Ñeta, which meant “warrior” or “new birth.” Ñeta is also an acronym for Never Ever Tolerate Abuse, reflecting the political cause of prisoner’s rights, pro-independence, as well as a moniker for the prison and street gang.
The letters NDC, meaning Ñeta de Corazon (heart of Ñeta), are associated with Ñeta and often seen in graffiti or in tattoos on members. A heart tattoo and “1.50” or “150%” are also found in graffiti, writings, or tattoos, symbolizing the 150% effort members pledge for the association.
Ñeta Symbols
The gang’s colors are red, white, blue, and sometimes black. The colors are representative of the Puerto Rican flag, but black is sometimes substituted for blue in clothing and regalia. Ñeta members also incorporate P.R. (Puerto Rico) into their clothing and often display the Puerto Rican flag.
Roman Catholicism, which is the predominant religion in Puerto Rico, has a continued influence on Ñeta. Like other Latino gangs, Ñeta employs the use of Catholic rosary beads as symbols of the gang; the rosary beads are worn by members as a visual affiliation of Ñeta membership, with various colored patterns having distinct meanings. For example, a probationary member wears all white beads until full membership is granted. Full members wear black, red, and white beads. The numbers and colors of the rosary beads also carry meanings for Ñeta members. The 78 white beads represent the boroughs of Puerto Rico, the seven black beads represent the seven Puerto Rican prisons where Ñeta’s founding took place; red beads represent the gang’s bloodshed, whereas green represents the sacred; and the cross is symbolic of Jesus Christ, whom Ñeta members claim presides over all of them.
The gang’s hand sign is the index finger crossed with the middle finger. The two fingers represent their unity, and the remaining ring and pinky finger pointed down represent the disrespect of law enforcement or prison administrations and also their rival gangs and enemies. Ñeta members salute each other by showing their gang sign with their hand and placing that hand over their heart. Ñeta members also refer to each other as hermanitos and hermanitas (brothers and sisters) because they view members as family.
Structure System
The organizational structure of Ñeta is very secretive, as members are prohibited from discussing organizational matters with nonmembers. In addition to the first and second in command, leadership positions include the organizer, who tracks and keeps notes of Ñeta’s meetings, the vocal, who is the spokesperson for the gang membership, and the disciplinarian, who dictates reprimands for members who violate gang rules. The voting population in Ñeta is known as the pueblo. Leaders are voted in or out of their position by the pueblo.
Ñeta calls court and produces its own legal documents, which is paperwork used to inform Ñeta of criminal informants or snitches or other serious breaches and allegations. The association also relies on approximately 25 norms to guide gang behavior. A few examples of these norms include respecting the leader’s decisions, not disrespecting any member’s mother, and following proper reporting channels if they feel a fellow member is being dishonest, unfaithful, or disrespecting the norms or the gang.
Rituals
Ñeta employs certain types of rituals. For example, in meetings of the association, a chant titled El Grito (meaning “the shout”) is invoked in which all members chant Ñeta several times with one designated person shouting asociación before the members shout Ñeta. New members are called seeds from their tree of recruitment and are sponsored by Ñeta members for a 30-day trial, during which they are taught Ñeta’s history. Upon admittance, the seeds sign an oath of allegiance to Ñeta, swearing their life to the association. March 30, the anniversary of founder Carlos Torrez Irriarte’s death, is viewed as a sacred day. This day is a day not only to commemorate Irriarte’s contribution in creating the association but also for remembering other deceased Ñeta members.
Law Enforcement and Correctional Criticisms
Law enforcement criticisms of Ñeta focus on Ñeta’s claims that it is a cultural group that promotes Puerto Rican culture as well as a prisoners’ rights group. Although there is some truth to these claims, law enforcement notes that Ñeta is engaged in illegal activities such as drug activity, violence, extortion, and murder, and Ñeta members have been known to be employed as hitmen for other prison and street gangs.
The Puerto Rican government has also expressed concern regarding Ñeta’s association with Los Macheteros, a Puerto Rican revolutionary group also known as the “Boricua Popular Army” that campaigns heavily for Puerto Rican independence through clandestine military operations. Some prominent rivals of Ñeta in the gang’s territories are the Latin Kings, MS-13, and Los Solidos.
References:
- Knox, G. W. (n.d.). National gang crime research center. Retrieved on October 10, 2016, from https://www.ngcrc.com/corr2012.html
- Ñeta. (n.d.a). Gang enforcement institute. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from https://www.gangenforcement.com/neta.html
- Ñeta. (n.d.b). Southeastern Connecticut gang activities group. Retrieved on October 1, 2016, from http://www.segag.org/