Massive takedown of Aryan Brotherhood of Texas praised in Washington

Murders and mutilations, such as slicing the finger off a corpse as a souvenir or using a blow torch to burn a tattoo off a man's torso while he was still alive, were just some of the savagery uncovered during a yearslong probe of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

All told, 73 members and associates of the race-based gang were sent to federal prison in a case that began in Houston in 2009 and culminated this week with U.S. Attorney Gen. Loretta Lynch recognizing a team of prosecutors, agents, police and a Texas Ranger for their efforts.

"You are safeguarding our neighborhoods and defending our communities," Lynch said during a Washington ceremony in which she spoke of the Texas group and others getting awards from the Department of Justice.

"You are protecting the American people from crime, from violence and from threats to our national security," she continued. "And you are working, every day, to ensure that our children grow up in a nation that guarantees opportunity, dignity and justice for all."

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