Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos (aka, Pistoleros Latinos or HPL) is a Hispanic prison gang founded by Joe Mendoza and Alberto Rodriguez in Texas during the early 1980s. The Spanish translation of the gang's name is "Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen" . It operates in all Texas prisons and on the streets in many communities in Texas, particularly in Laredo. HPL is active throughout Mexico with its largest contingent in Nuevo Laredo. The gang is structured and is estimated to have 1,000 members. Members maintain close ties to several Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) and are involved in the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana from Mexico into the United States for distribution.