audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - This essay offers a rare look inside the daily lives of members of one of the biggest gangs in the United States.'The Bloodline' are a chapter designated by the Brooklynn Latin Kings gang to the State of New York, one of the most organized gangs in America with more than 35,000 active members. The Kings are the oldest and largest Hispanic street gang in the United States, its roots date to 1954 Humboldt Park in Chicago. We see the extreme life conditions for the majority of gang members and also the relationship between gang members and society. It explores the intimacy and naivety of teenagers who have been pushed by their economic status, racial or social issues to survive in a hostile environment in one of the most developed cities in the world. It also draws attention to the happiness, unity and respect they show each other and the importance of the family and religion in their lives. The Trump administration recently vowed to crack down on violent gang members and criminals from American Communities. Recent nationwide gang apprehension programs such as Project Dawn, focusing on dismantling transnational gangs have seen hundreds arrested in New York alone.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 4, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - MURDER holds a gun that he bought for 250 USD in the street. He bought it after guys from another gang stabbed one of his friends in the neck. The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN, ALKN, LKN) is the oldest and largest Hispanic street gang in the United States. Its roots date to 1954 Humboldt Park in Chicago, Illinois.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 16, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - ISIS looks outside the window for mandown coming into the building, mandown is the way they call NYPD police officers. The Latin Kings is one of the first gangs in America to include women as part of the gang and they're called Queens.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 16, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - 'Living in the hood is like living in prison' quote of SMOKEY when I was taking this photograph, the high security surrounding the housing projects to keep them safe makes business hard for the gang.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 16, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - KAREN, mother of Kirell and aunt of Smokey looks at her phone wile watching TV inside her apartment in Brooklyn.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 19, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - Latin Kings meet at one of the headquarters of the gangs in Bushwick, monthly meeting often take place at parks or abandoned houses. 'Amor de Rey' or 'King Love' , is what they yell while listening to one of the leaders give instructions to the gang.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 19, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - 'LOONEY', active member of the Nation yells 'Amor de Rey' or 'King Love' at his group while they're looking for Trinitarios' members from an enemy gang in a subway station.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 20, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - Apr 20, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - 'From here I can shoot the J train' is what B-RAD said to his brother in law Smokey. B-Rad is not a Latin King, he is a member of the Ysquad Gang that rules a small neighborhood in Brooklyn.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 20, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - SMOKEY lights up a marijuana cigarette while sitting in his room at the Bushwick housing projects. Smokey is the leader of the South-Side tribe of the Latin Kings gangs in Brooklyn and he tries to keep his people from smoking anything else that is not marijuana because he wants them to be able to protect the hood at any time.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 20, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - B-RAD hides in the corner of his apartment because police officers and members from an enemy gang were looking for him. He was part of a shooting on the second floor of his building, where he was shot in the leg and now can't leave his house because of gang retaliation.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 20, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - FLASH lies on the floor after smoking marijuana. One of the things that Latin Kings do the most is hang out and smoke.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 27, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - BLASK got his hand cut with a broken bottle during a fight with members from an enemy gang called the Trinitarios, these kind of injuries are common between gang members since fights quickly escalate from fists to razor blades, knives and guns.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Apr 16, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - A small child sleeps at his home in the Bushwick projects in the house that he shares with his uncle SMOKEY, who rules the neighborhood for the Latin King.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 4, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - (from left to right) KING LOONEY, KING CHUCHO, KING SMOKEY and KING BUCKETS rest in their apartments after a long day at a meeting with other gang members, smoking some marijuana and drinking beer.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

00 am in the morning and arrested more than 11 people, 4 of them gang members. The state of New York doesn't allow keeping someone arrested for more than 48 hours unless he is found guilty. Smokey as a leader didn't take the charges and was released after 2 days.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 12, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - View of one of the project buildings located in the Bushwick housing projects. This building, in the heart of Bushwick, is home for several gangs including the Latin Kings, YSquad and Bloods. The building is always patrolled by NYPD officers and security cameras.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 13, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - A distant familly is one of the main reasons why teenagers join gangs, The lack of support and understanding pushes teenagers to seek a community that will help them. They find the answer in gangs.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jun 1, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - Street level drug dealing is the main source of income of the gang. A large base of their transactions come from the homeless and users in the immediate community. In the photo, a drug deal of marijuana happens in one of the upper floors of the housing building. They are trying to avoid security cameras in the lobby and outside the building.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jul 22, 2014 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - SMOKEY walks down the street while taking his shirt off before trying to fight some other gang members from a rival gang called the Trinitarios.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Mar 19, 2015 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - TEFLON shows the table where he has displayed a gun laying on top of a Bible, several bullets, a scale for drugs and a book of the law of attraction. Drug dealing and violence is part of the daily life of gang members in New York.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

Jun 5, 2016 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - A tattoo displays the words Been Family on the chest of THOMAS JENNINGS, an active member of the Bloods gang in the U.S.A. The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN, ALKN, LKN) is the oldest and largest Hispanic street gang in the United States. Its roots date to 1954 Humboldt Park in Chicago, Illinois.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

May 20, 2015 - Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - Gang members and friends mourn the dead of Simbaa who died after being stabbed 20 times in the chest in Williamsburg-Brooklyn. Death has become something familiar to gang members, memorial ceremonies and visits to the hospital are common and they always live with the fear of who is gonna be the next one.
© Nicolas Enriquez/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire