Spanish Cobras

The Spanish Cobras is a primarily, but not exclusively, Latino street gang started by Puerto Rican teenagers during the late 1950s on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. The Insane Spanish Cobra Nation are members of the Folks alliance, sworn enemies of all People gangs, and considered the second-largest Latino Folk mob on the north and west side, with the Maniac Latin Disciples being the first.

The Spanish Cobras landed in the Humboldt Park neighborhood sometime in the 1960’s. During the early 1970’s, a young teen named Richard “King Cobra” Medina aggressively became leader of the gang at Maplewood/Campbell & Potomac. King Cobra, or KC, had the Spanish Cobras fight the Evergreen Hustlers to take over the intersection of Evergreen & Washtenaw. KC then started a Young Cobras faction who attacked other gangs’ turf, soon claiming Artesian & Potomac “A-Town”, and Mozart & Cortland “Sin City”.

The Spanish Cobras were introduced to the world when they stabbed a Latin King during the annual Puerto Rican Parade in June 1977. That was the catalyst for the Humboldt Park Riots. The Kings retaliated later that day, and as the two gangs fought publicly, Chicago Police shot into the crowd killing two innocent bystanders, causing the community to riot.

The Insane Spanish Cobras made headlines again in Spring 1979 during their bloody war with the Insane Unknowns. This resulted in over 10 homicides and a public response from Mayor Jane Byrne.

Before his murder at 20 years old in a drive-by, KC grew the Spanish Cobras into many sections around the Division & Maplewood area. They expanded into West Humboldt Park at Ridgeway & Thomas, and took over the hoods of North Ave & Harding, LeMoyne & Springfield and Springfield & Hirsch which branched into Avers & Hirsch “Westown Cobras”.

In the 1980s, according to criminologist John Haggerdon's book Insane the Chicago Way, "What began to take shape was the daring plan of gang leaders incarcerated in Statesville—Fernando "Prince Fernie" Zayas from the Maniac Latin Disciples, Anibal "Tuffy C" Santiago from the Insane Spanish Cobras, and David Ayala from the Two Sixers—to create a local Latino Mafia"

Cobra sets opened across the Northwest side like wildfire. Cicero & Armitage “Cicero Assassins”, Kilbourn & Fullerton Ave “The Killing Fields”, the notorious Fullerton & Tripp, Shakespeare & Central Park “Young & Crazy”, Central Park & Dickens “Wild Side” and Tripp & Dickens “The Terror Dome”. Monticello & Cortland "Murder City" branched into Lawndale & Cortland “Cobrasland”

In the summer of 1989, the Francis & Stave YLO Cobras attacked the Simon City Royals at Kosciusko Park in a series of fist fights and shootouts, taking control of “Koz Park” by 1990 and opening Schubert & Avers. The Royals retaliated by killing a Northside Cobra. As a result, the Leland & Lawndale Insane Spanish Cobras went after the Simon City Royals hard in Jensen Park. Another back and forth war ensued, but the Cobras eventually kicked out the Royals by fatal force and took over the park in ‘91.

The Spanish Cobras and Latin Disciples, were strong allies from the 1970s - early 90’s, but began deadly turf wars over drug territory around 1993. As head of the Insane Familia of nations, the Spanish Cobras flipped the Deuces from People to Folks and took the alliance of Insane Deuces, Ashland Vikings, Insane Dragons, O.A.’s, Insane Campbell Boys to war against the Maniacs and Almighty Folks. By 1996, the Insane-Maniac war made the Chicago Tribune. [1] That same year, in retaliation for the murder of a high ranking member, West-Town Cobras shot up a Latin King wedding resulting in casualties. The shooting was caught on videotape then broadcast on local news stations. This increased the pressure on law enforcement to go after the gang.

After a nine month undercover narcotics investigation, in January 1998 the Chicago Police Department arrested 31 Spanish Cobras in "Operation: Mongoose", including some gang leaders. This resulted in the closure of a couple Cobra sections.

In the early 2000’s the Lawndale & Cortland Cobras violently removed the MLD’s from North Ave & Lawndale.

When a Spanish Cobra boss was released from prison in 2019 after doing 20 years, he intensified the war on the street to reclaim old turf lost to rivals. Today, the Chicago neighborhoods with the strongest active Insane and YLO Spanish Cobra presence are: Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Logan Square, Belmont-Cragin, Albany Park and Kelvyn Park. They are also found in the suburbs of Waukegan, Bensenville and Cicero, with a small presence in the McKinley Park area on the south side (34th & Western). Known to operate in other parts of Illinois, as well as Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha in Wisconsin, and Detroit. They are quite large in Flint, Michigan. [2] Law enforcement has also reported Spanish Cobras in Ohio, Connecticut and Florida in Orlando, Ft Myers and Miami.