Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos ( a.k.a., Pistoleros Latinos, or, HPL) is a Hispanic prison gang founded by Joe Mendoza and Alberto Rodriguez in Texas

The Pistoleros Latinos began to multiply in the 1990’s after the gang began recruiting members from cities out side of the Rio Grande Valley. The original HPL members from the Rio Grande Valley resented the new members being recruited from San Antonio and Houston, Texas. A power struggle within the prison gang’s ranks ensued causing the group to splinter into two separate chapters. The original HPL members decided to call themselves the HPL 45’s, while the San Antonio and Houston members were known as the 16/12’s. The two factions went to war and finally reunited under the name HPL in 1998Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos ( a.k.a., Pistoleros Latinos, or, HPL) is a Hispanic prison gang founded by Joe Mendoza and Alberto Rodriguez in Texas during the late 1980s. The Spanish translation of the gang's name is "Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen." It operates in most prisons and on the streets in many communities in Texas, particularly Laredo. HPL is also active in several cities in Mexico, and its largest contingent in that country is located in Nuevo Laredo. The gang is structured and is estimated to have 1,000 members. Members maintain close ties to several Mexican DTOs (Drug Trafficking Organizations) and are involved in the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana from Mexico into the United States for distribution.