Known Aliases: F13, Florence 13, F-13, Florencia, FX3 (coded), La Florencia, Florencia Lokotes, Florencia Trece
Origin: Florence-Firestone unincorporated community, South Los Angeles, California — circa 1950s. Named for the Florence Avenue corridor in the historically working-class, predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood situated between Huntington Park and South Gate.
Active Regions: Primary AOR: South Los Angeles (Florence-Firestone, Huntington Park, Walnut Park, South Gate, Bell Gardens, Maywood). Secondary AOR: Broader Los Angeles County, Inland Empire (Riverside, San Bernardino), Orange County, Kern County (Bakersfield), Ventura County. Documented migration to Las Vegas (NV), Phoenix (AZ), Dallas (TX), and various California state correctional institutions. Estimated membership: 3,000–5,000.
Known Alliances: Mexican Mafia (La Eme), Sureños
Known Rivalries: East Coast Crips (ECC) — primary rival, with a conflict defined by racial and territorial dimensions, particularly in the Florencia-Firestone and adjacent neighborhoods. 18th Street Gang — territorial competition over drug distribution corridors. Bloods (various sets) — generalized opposition. Rebel 13 — localized disputes. Neighborhood Crips — area-based conflicts. The F13/ECC conflict has been characterized by racially motivated targeting of African American community members, resulting in federal hate crime investigations.
Primary Identifiers: Colors: Blue (Sureños), grey, black. Symbols: 'F13,' 'F-13,' 'FX3' (coded substitution), 'FLO,' 'Florence,' 'Florencia,' number 13, stylized Old English script. Numeric codes: 13 (M = Mexican Mafia allegiance), 6-13 (F-13), 1-8-15 (coded). Tattoos: 'Florencia 13' in large Old English across back or chest, 'F13' on hands/face, clique-specific identifiers (e.g., 'Locos,' 'Midgets,' 'Malditos,' 'Dukes'), three dots, Sureño numerical markers. Apparel: LA Dodgers (blue), any blue sports gear, Dickies/Ben Davis work wear, Nike Cortez sneakers. Hand signs: 'F' and '13' formations. Graffiti: 'F13,' 'FX3,' Old English lettering, crossed-out rival identifiers (especially ECC), clique roll calls, '13' and Sureño markers.
Executive Summary:
Florencia 13 (F13) is classified as one of the most powerful and territorially aggressive Sureño-affiliated street gangs operating within the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Established in the 1950s within the Florence-Firestone community of unincorporated South Los Angeles, the organization maintains direct operational allegiance to the Mexican Mafia (La Eme) prison gang and enforces the Sureño mandate within its extensive territorial claims. F13's operational footprint spans approximately 100 square blocks within its core AOR, making it one of the largest single-gang territories in Los Angeles County. The organization is structurally organized into distinct cliques (e.g., Locos, Midgets, Malditos, Dukes, Jokers) that manage localized narcotics distribution and territorial enforcement.
Primary illicit revenue streams include high-volume narcotics trafficking (methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, cannabis), weapons trafficking, extortion, robbery, and contract violence. F13 has been the subject of significant federal law enforcement attention due to its protracted conflict with the East Coast Crips, a rivalry that has contained documented elements of racially motivated violence against African American residents within disputed territories — resulting in federal civil rights investigations and DOJ consent decrees. The 2013 federal RICO indictment (United States v. Garcia, et al.) charged over 60 F13 members and associates with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics distribution, and murder, representing one of the largest gang-related RICO cases in Central District of California history. Despite significant leadership attrition through federal prosecution, F13's deep neighborhood entrenchment and Mexican Mafia sponsorship ensure continued operational capability.