Asian Boyz
| Founded | 1970s |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Long Beach / Los Angeles, California, United States. |
| Years active | 1970s-present |
| Territory | Active in 14 U.S. states (2009) |
| Ethnicity | Primarily of Laotian, Vietnamese and Cambodian descent. |
| Membership (est.) | 1,300-2,000 |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, robbery, assault, burglary, theft and homicide |
| Allies | Crips, Viet Boys |
| Rivals | Tiny Rascal gang, Valerio Street Gang, East Side Longos,Bloods,Wah Ching, Lower East Side |
The Asian Boyz, or ABZ, are an Asian American street gang formed in the 1970s, according to the FBI, or co-founded by Filipino American Marvin "Shy Boy" Mercado in the 1990s in southern California, according to The Huffington Post. Gang members are mainly males of Vietnamese, Cambodian or Laotian descent.
The gang are allied with the Crips. They are active in 14 states, in 28 different cities in the U.S.
The Asian Boyz was formed in Long Beach due to Asian immigrants being harassed by the East Side Longos, a Mexican American gang that originated from Anaheim Street.
On the East Coast, their gang colors are forest green, black and white. Asian Boyz also have a tattoo of a dragon head with crystal globes. On the West Coast, they use blue, similar to the Crips.
The Asian Boyz gang was established in Long Beach. There are additional factions in states on the east coast. However, the ABZ are spread across the United States, mainly on the east coast of the U.S. According to the FBI's National Gang Threat Assessment in 2011, the Asian Boyz has members in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
In August 1997, the leader of the Asian Boyz Van Nuys set, Sothi Menh, was arrested in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and extradited to the United States after fleeing the country in January that year. He was wanted for committing five gang-related murders in the San Fernando Valley in 1995. In September 1998, seven of the Asian Boyz were charged with seven murders, 18 attempted murders and five instances of conspiracy to commit murder in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, in 1995.
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