SAN ANTONIO – By last summer, drug dealing in east San Antonio had started to resemble car dealerships on competing lots, complete with dealers fighting over commissions.
The stark picture of crime on the East Side came during the federal testimony of an FBI agent in November.
The agent who testified during a detention hearing for several Crips gang members said a splintering within the gang led to a war over territory and, ultimately, a rash of shootings last year.
One victim of the surge in violence was 4-year-old De-Earlvion Whitley, who was shot and killed in July while inside his home in the 200 block of Hub Avenue.
Federal court records reveal the shooting was in retaliation for a drive-by shooting at a meat market in the 400 block of Spriggsdale Avenue hours earlier.
Whitley's father, Earl Whitley Jr., was later arrested on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics and selling narcotics.
Earl Whitley Jr. on Thursday pleaded guilty to a federal drug conspiracy charge, in a case prosecutors said was built off of confidential informants and surveillance material.
Charges against nine other members of the so-called "Skinney Block Crew" are still pending, according to federal court filings.
Earl Whitley Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 3.
In response to a surge in gun violence, law enforcement agencies, including the San Antonio Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI formed the Violent Crime Task Force in January 2017.
The specialized unit was tasked with targeting crime hot spots throughout the city's East Side.
Members of the task force from SAPD alone arrested 1,405 people from early January to the start of November last year, according to records analyzed by the Defenders.
At least 33 people were arrested multiple times, SAPD records show.
"They were the same names that kept popping up in a lot of the investigations," said Sgt. Michelle Ramos, an SAPD spokeswoman. "They're selling narcotics, prostitution. There's weapons involved. A lot of these crimes lead to violent crimes. We need to get out there. We need to stop this kind of behavior."
Last month, KSAT 12 rode along with members of the task force as they patrolled high-crime areas on a weeknight.
Officers conducted traffic stops, engaged with East Side residents and showed their proficiency in determining the gang affiliations of individuals.
Lots that just months ago were filled with vehicles have been cleared, signaling progress, according to multiple officers associated with the task force's work.
Homicides citywide last year dropped 16 percent, according to SAPD.
Department leadership has, in part, attributed the decrease to the fact that the task force is arresting suspects before they commit violent crimes.
A federal criminal complaint filed last May accused Lawrence Manor, a known Bloods gang member, and multiple associates of distributing cocaine base on a consignment basis, allowing dealers to pay back Manor at a later date.
When one dealer failed to pay Manor in late April 2017, Manor and his associates beat up and kidnapped the man, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators listening to Manor's phone conversations on a telephone intercept were able to determine that the victim was in danger, the complaint states.
The man was found alive tied up with a shirt over his head inside Manor's home when it was raided by FBI agents and SAPD officers, according to the criminal complaint.
Manor faces charges of unlawful transport of firearms, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and several pending conspiracy and drug charges.
Five associates of Manor also face charges, according to federal records.
Ramos said that despite the drop in violent crime, there is, at this point, no plan to disband the task force.