Yoshitomi Group (吉富組), also known as the Yoshitomi-gumi, is a Japanese Yakuza organization that was formed during the Kobe Earthquake by Yoshitomi Hideaki and Yoshinori Watanabe, in associated with the Yamaguchi-gumi's large-scale relief for the victims, however the official formation of the organization was established in Tokyo, Japan. Today, they operate overseas with operations in the United States, Canada and Europe but have strong roots in Japan as well as Asia. It is one of the most powerful Japanese-based criminal groups in the United States, having many associates affiliated with hundreds of street gangs and multiple other organizations.
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The current leadership structure is unknown, however evidence of their existence is known through crime investigations conducted by law enforcement. According to the Yamaguchi-gumi, after forming the Yoshitomi-gumi, Yoshitomi Hideaki had then left Japan for the United States in 1997, he is a close friend of Yoshinori Watanabe, the former crime boss of the Yamaguchi-gumi. While in America, Yoshitomi Hideaki met many hmong affiliates that he used as his interest for his drug and crime waves, they were a St. Paul street gang known as the Menace of Destruction, and soon they began trafficking crystal methamphetamine for the organization. Since then, the structure has moved into different cities and most notable are Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. There is only an estimated number of Japanese members, as half of the group's membership is Hmong, the current Wakagashira or first lieutenant, is of Hmong descent.
| In | Tokyo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Founded by | Yoshitomi Hideaki and Yoshinori Watanabe associated with the Yamaguchi-gumi |
| Years active | 1995-present |
| Territory | Primarily based in Japan but also has territory in the United States, most common is in Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Paul and New York. |
| Ethnicity | Japanese and some Hmong |
| Membership | 84,000+ (including associates and fraction groups) |
| Criminal activities | arms trafficking, assassinations, bank fraud, bid rigging, blackmail, bookmaking, contract killing, extortion, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, Internet pornography, loansharking, mail fraud, match fixing, money laundering, mortgage fraud, murder, prostitution, securities fraud, sōkaiya, wire fraud, and infiltration of legitimate businesses |
| Allies | Yamaguchi-gumi, Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, Los Zetas, Menace of Destruction (MOD), Bloods and Latin Kings |
| Rivals | Other Yakuza groups, Crips, Folk Nation, Aryan Brotherhood and some Italian families in Chicago |
The Yoshitomi Group is known working together with the Los Zetas and the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, in illegal drug trafficking, kidnapping and contract killing in the United States, as the cartel operates in Mexico, the Yoshitomi-gumi are evidently not involved with the Human Trafficking ring although they are involved in political corruption, that support this cause. They are also one of the few who are currently hiding Héctor Beltrán Leyva, leader of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel.
Through the long rivalry between the Vietnamese and Laotian gangs, many of the Hmong gangs have given truce and alliance with the Yoshitomi Group, and in return the organization provides the gangs with illegal firearms and drugs to further fund their own structure. Some of the weapons taken from the case relted to (Ret.) Major General Vang Pao's plot to overthrow the Kingdom of Laos, is of the Yoshitomi Group.
In June 2007, a group of three Aryan Brotherhood gang members, Thomas Heckman, James Madison and Al Hayrman, stopped for gas at a Texas highway gas station as a dark vehicle pulled in behind them, through the store cameras the dark vehicle can be seen stopping directly behind the Aryan Brothers who were on Gas Pump 5, the dark vehicle stopping on Gas Pump 4. Three Asian men who carried silenced submachine guns, exited the vehicle and approached, Thomas Heckman, who was pumping gas into the car, while James and Al remained inside their vehicle. One of the gunman fired several shots at Thomas, killing him, while the other two gunman stepped to the side of the Aryan vehicle and fired several shots into the car, killing both James and Al. The gunman then fled the scene, their license plate were covered by a paper pag wrapped with a plastic layer, the vehicle was found 8.3 miles from the crime scene and it was burned down. Police suspected that the shooting was related to the ordered contract killing between the rivalry between the Los Zetas of Mexico and the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, police also identified one of the shooters as a member of the Yoshitomi Group, who is currently working within the Texas crime wave with Mexico's cartels.
The Yoshitomi-gumi has ties with the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel and the Los Zetas, also with street gangs such as the Bloods and Latin Kings. Because of this alliance, they are rivaled with the Crips and other gangs not affiliated with opposing or neutral towards their operations. They have been noted for a suspected contract assassination of three Aryan Brotherhood gang members in Austin, Texas. It is rumored that the Yoshitomi-gumi is seeking territory in Miami, Florida to take advantage of the drug trade; they are also reported to have attempted to gain entry into Detroit, Michigan but was ordered to halt by the Yamaguchi-gumi as its partners were present during the North American International Auto Show, the Chicago-based faction is still attempting to gain access into Detroit but is struggling a contract with the Detroit Partnership or Tocco-Licavoli-Zerilli crime family. On February 17, 2011, the Yoshitomi-gumi's California faction has formed a strong alliance with the Solntsevskaya bratva, a Russian criminal organization faction based in Los Angeles, California.
It is suggested that there are a total of more than a hundred factions within North America alone, two are known in Hawaii and many hidden throughout Alaska and Canada. The headquarters, possibly the location of crime boss, Yoshitomi Hideaki, is unknown. Because the yakuza's criminal code includes loyalty and honor, each faction operates independently but the power structure remains in power; many factions but one crime boss.
On March 8, 2011, Yoshitomi-gumi crime boss Yoshitomi Hideaki, according to the associating Yamaguchi-gumi, has declared war on multiple remaining street gangs around the Chicago and Milwaukee area for total control of the street drug trade, as well as negotiating a peace treaty with former rival 5 Crown Triad, a Chinese organization based in San Francisco, ending an 8-year feud. Shortly after the Tohoku Earthquake, the Yoshitomi-gumi dispatched its members from all around the world to support the aftermath by bringing food, water and providing some brief construction to help provide shelter for those in need.
Since the release of Kenichi Shinoda, also known as Shinobu Tsukasa, the Yoshitomi-gumi along with it's parent group, Yamaguchi-gumi, plan on expanding into Tokyo and Eastern Japan.
A Yoshitomi-gumi affiliate may form his own organization through approval of both crime boss, Yoshitomi Hideaki, and the board members of the Yamaguchi-gumi, the organization's primary roots. Since 2003, there are over one hundred fractions formed all over the United States alone, with thousands across the globe.
-United States- (These are the 'known' locations of many fractions throughout the United States)