Case Explained: Kidnapping suspect linked to Sureños gang; local law enforcement says no known presence in Mobile, Baldwin counties – Legal Perspective

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The man charged with kidnapping a mother and her two children is a known member of the Sureños, a transnational criminal street gang, according to Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch.

Hector Gamaliel Argueta-Guerra — who told authorities his name was Juan Carlos — is accused of taking Aurelia Choc-Cac and her two children, Niurka and Anthony. The family has now been missing for nearly a month. Argueta-Guerra is from El Salvador and has outstanding warrants in his home country for alleged terrorism and organized crime. He is currently held at Mobile Metro Jail and has not told investigators where the family is.

What is the Sureños gang?

The Sureños, Spanish for “Southerners,” originated in Southern California. The gang pays tribute to the Mexican Mafia and also goes by the name Sur 13, according to the FBI. In 2011, the group was said to be expanding faster than any other national-level gang in the United States.

Tim White, a former FBI agent who worked in Southern California from 1987 to 2003, said the gang was present during his tenure but was not among the bureau’s top priorities at the time.

“Started as a relatively simple street gang that worked in the neighborhoods in LA and was also in San Diego — all through Southern California, for the most part. But not on the top of our radar, you know, as far as the FBI was concerned,” White said.

Gang’s criminal activity

According to the FBI, the Sureños’ most common crimes include murder, extortion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and prostitution.

White said those crimes have long defined the gang’s operations.

“I would say that the human trafficking, sex trafficking, prostitution, stuff, along with the drugs, is really their niche. That’s what they’ve done forever. That’s what they’ll do. That’s the stuff that really doesn’t take a lot of, you know, high-brow thinking. It’s pretty simple, and so it’s easy money. It’s a horrible crime,” White said.

Local law enforcement response

Mobile Police said they are not currently tracking the Sureños in the city. A Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the agency has not had any encounters with Sureños members, though localized community-type gangs are active in the county. The spokesperson also said the cartel does have some reach in Baldwin County, but described it as nothing on the national scale of the Sureños.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Aurelia Choc-Cac, Niurka, or Anthony is asked to contact the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.

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