DALLAS, Texas (NewsNation Now) — Twenty-four people have now been indicted in three different states, including high-ranking gang members allegedly tied to the white supremacy group the Aryan Circle.
Not a lot is known at this time, but this is what NewsNation has gathered so far.
The three states where the indictments stem from are Texas, Kentucky and Mississippi. The allegations range from racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes and drug conspiracy to unlawful firearms trafficking.
According to court documents, 13 of the 24 suspects are alleged members of the Aryan Circle — a violent, race-based organization started within the Texas prison system in the mid-80s. In recent years, its influence has expanded outside prison walls into rural and suburban areas of numerous states.
Only one of the two dozen suspects remains on the loose, and some of the alleged criminal acts include kidnapping, shootings, stabbings, and “patch burning”— a gruesome removal of rival gang tattoos. The Department of Justice said the white supremacist group is known to promote discipline and enforce its rules through acts like murder, assault and threat against those who break them.
In November 2019, Texas authorities executed Aryan Circle member Justen Hall for strangling a woman. Hall also confessed to fatally shooting 28-year-old transgender woman in April 2002. El Paso police investigated the killing as a hate crime.
The colossal case is being investigated by a task force made up of some 31 departments across the country — many whose agents tell NewsNation they are unable to speak on the federal investigation at this time. The Department of Justice made sure to include in its official release that an indictment is merely an allegation. At this time, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.