Authorities Say Tango Blast Gang Getting Stronger in El Paso

A fierce prison gang is getting stronger in the Lone Star state.

Texas authorities say that the Tango Blast gang, which was once just a “fad,” is now quite possibly one of the most fearsome gangs across the state of Texas, including El Paso and several other cities. The latest reports from the Texas Department of Public Safety indicate that the up-and-coming gang has some 10,000 members in Texas and has grown to proportions that outshine the largest gang to ever threaten the state – the Texas Mexican Mafia.

The Tango Blast is rapidly becoming a problem because of their criminal activity outside the prison system and their known connections with the Mexican drug cartels. "We do have Tango Blast people here," said Darrel Petry, a spokesman for the El Paso police. "Our Gang Unit first started to pick up on them here in 2006. It is mainly found inside (jails and prisons). Our Gang Unit considers them to be active."

El Paso authorities say that the Tango Blast is referred to in the area as EPT and is not nearly as deadly and criminally functional as the infamous Barrio Azteca of El Paso. However, a report from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office shows that there are about 200 members of Tango Blast operating in El Paso County – half of them are incarcerated at both a local and state level.

Interestingly, membership in to the Tango Blast does not come with any level of lifelong commitment. In fact, most members leave the gang upon being released from prison. Yet, some do maintain involvement in criminal activity.

The rise of the Tango Blast has put the ruffian organization into immediate conflict with many of the old school gangs.