Using Others for Dirty Work

     Historically, mobs, syndicates, triads, yakuza, drug cartels, all used outsiders to do their dirty work from time to time.  This was done for a variety of reasons, but mainly to distance themselves from the act, usually killing, as much as possible.  In most cases it worked.  Although the authorities suspected that the particular killing was connected to the mob, the drug cartel, etc., it could not be positively pinned on them!  The American mobs or syndicates often used street gangs to do their dirty work, but it wasn't until recently that it became a widespread practice by non-American criminal organizations to use American street gang members to do their killing.  This has been especially a common practice by Mexican drug cartels. 
     The Arellano Felix Cartel from Tijuana routinely used Hispanic street gang members from San Diego area to do their killing on either side of the border.  They found it to be a very practical way of doing business, much cheaper to hire a gangbanger to do the killing and at the same time, if done properly, with no ties to the cartel!  The Juarez Cartel hired entire gangs out of El Paso not just to do their killing, but to conduct kidnapping on both sides of the border, transport drugs, etc.  It is a known fact that Hispanic gangbangers are the main suppliers of firearms to the Mexican drug cartels.  They purchase guns legally through straw buyers who turn the guns over to the gangs for small payment.  The gang in turn sells the guns to cartels for a profit.
     It is said that black gangbangers also provide services to mobs or syndicates, although not quite as much as the Hispanic gangs.  During my tour of duty in Tijuana, Mexico from 1997 to 2000, there were practically daily drug related killings on the Mexican side of the border.  Some were mass executions, others were simple, individual hits.  Whatever the case, the authorities on both sides of the border believed that these killings for the most part were carried out by gangbangers from the U.S. side, paid to do the work by the Tijuana Cartel.  A gang out of National City (just south of San Diego) was the favorite of the drug cartel.  It was rumored that these kids were willing to conduct a hit for as little as $500 and a good time with prostitutes in Tijuana!
     In the earlier blogs I made mention of the fact that the yakuza sometimes used gurentai or other street gangs for some of their dirty work.  Mostly it was just minor stuff like roughing up an uncooperative bar owner etc.  But during the "Yakuza Wars" on Okinawa, both sides are said to have used non-yakuza members to do some of their work.  Like the Mexican drug cartels of today, the yakuza, especially the Okinawan yakuza, is believed to have hired American G.I.s from time to time.  I said in the last blog that there were no reported American casualties of the "Yakuza Wars," that is not entirely correct.  There were a number of G.I.s serving time in the Sagami Prison (maximum security) just outside of Tokyo in the 1970s and 80s who committed crimes that were believed to have been connected with the yakuza.  The U.S. press simply reported these cases as those of G.I.s who committed crimes on Okinawa, nothing more.  Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), unlike in the earlier years prior to reversion in 1972, all G.I.s who committed crimes on Japanese soil and involving Japanese nationals were tried and imprisoned in Japan.
     There was a case involving three G.I.s from Kadena Air Base who entered a bar in Koza and opened fire on two Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza members.  Although no one was killed, the wild west style shootout produced several wounded innocent bystanders as well as both yakuza and two of the G.I.s suffered minor wounds.  The Japanese news initially reported it as a gun fight between yakuza from Japan and the G.I.s who were hired by Okinawan yakuza.  However, it was quickly changed to simply G.I.s having a disagreement with the Japanese yakuza over women!  There is no doubt that pressure from U.S. military changed the story.  The three black G.I.s were believed to be members of a street gang back home, Crips or Bloods.  This took place in mid 1970s and the Japanese movie industry took advantage of it and in one movie about "Yakuza Wars," this scene was prominently played out with (ironically) three black G.I.s moonlighting as actors!  I hope they had permission from their CO to earn money on the side acting!
     In another incident, rather a very gruesome killing, a G.I. from Kadena agreed to kill a DEA informant who was a member of the Okinawan Kyokuryu-kai yakuza group.  Kyokuryu-kai was in the midst of the "Yakuza Wars" with the Yamaguchi-gumi, but they were not about to ignore housekeeping responsibilities despite the fact they were busy with the "invaders" from naichi.  Kyokuryu-kai, like its enemy the Yamaguchi-gumi, did not deal in drugs and dealt harshly with their members who broke that rule.  Kyokuryu-kai wasn't concerned that their man was a DEA informant since they did not deal in drugs.  However, the informant, as it happens so often, was a drug dealer!  That is how he knew about the drug dealing world on Okinawa.  The G.I. from Kadena who was asked to do the killing was a drug dealer also!  In fact, he was a major drug dealer on Okinawa, practicing his trade strictly with G.I.s. 
     The yakuza didn't care that the G.I. was a drug dealer, they just didn't want anyone from their organization to be involved in drugs.  So, they told the this G.I. that he would be doing them a great favor if he got rid of the Okinawan drug dealer.  There was no payment involved.  The G.I. drug dealer was anxious to get on the good side of the yakuza, so he was more than willing to do the job.  Besides, he would be doing himself a favor by getting rid of a DEA snitch. The yakuza told him they didn't care how he did it, but to make it so that it would send a loud and clear message to other yakuza members not to break their rule and deal in drugs.  The G.I., on the other hand, decided to send his own message to anyone contemplating becoming a DEA snitch.
     The G.I. with two of his buddies who were also involved in drug dealing working for him, grabbed the Okinawan yakuza/drug dealer/DEA snitch and took him to an isolated beach somewhere past Moon Beach.  There they built a large bonfire and burned the yakuza member as if he was roasted on a spit!  The bonfire was so large that it could be seen from a great distance and it attracted attention.  The police were called and the entire crew was captured before they could complete their roasting.  However, it was too late for the poor victim, he was dead and badly charred.
     The press had a great time writing this up and Japanese (Okinawan) TV even managed to get some footage of the aftermath of the bonfire and the burned corpse.  Everyone said it was a yakuza killing, their way of dealing with their own members who broke their rules.  However, there was no proof.  The G.I.s may have talked, but their testimonies were not released and the main culprit insisted that he had nothing to do with it, even when he was caught red-handed, so to speak!  Ultimately, this episode simply went on record as being one that involved G.I. drug dealers and a DEA snitch killing, nothing more, no yakuza involvement.