Compton Varrio Tres (CV3)

History and Identity

Compton Varrio Tres, also known as Compton Varrio 3 or Las Tres (often referred to as 3 Gang), is a long-standing Mexican-American street gang based on the East Side of Compton, California. The name Tres is a reference to 133rd Street, the street from which the gang originated. According to local members and law enforcement, it is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, with roots extending back to the 1960s.

Although some members have claimed roots dating back to the 1940s, coinciding with the 1940s Zoot Suit Riots. The neighborhood is characterized by a strong sense of community and family, with multiple generations—grandparents, parents, and children—often having ties to the set.

According to testimony presented during later court proceedings, CV3 had already become a recognized gang by the 1960s. Former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel have also identified Compton Varrio 3 as one of the original gangs targeted during the early years of Operation Safe Streets, a countywide anti-gang initiative launched in the 1970s.

By the 1980s, during the height of the crack epidemic, Compton Varrio Tres had emerged as one of Compton’s most established Hispanic street gangs. As violence escalated throughout the city, CV3 became deeply entrenched in local gang conflicts and territorial shootings. During the 1990s, the gang aligned itself with the Sureño movement under the leadership of the Mexican Mafia.

Territory And Cliques

Compton Varrio Tres is primarily located on the East Side of Compton. The neighborhood’s traditional territory is centered around Long Beach Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue and extends toward the Compton-Lynwood border.

Compton Varrio Tres comprises several smaller cliques, including the Baby Gangsters (BGS), Tiny Locos, Cut Downs, Pee Wees, and the Dead Ends (Southeast chapter). The Baby Gangsters clique has appeared in documented graffiti studies and is among the most frequently mentioned subsets associated with the neighborhood.

Documented Incidents

Kidnapping-Robbery Case (1979)

One of the earliest documented incidents involving Compton Varrio 3 occurred in April 1979.

According to court records, a victim who was parked near El Segundo Boulevard and Peach Street was approached by two men later identified as members of Compton Varrio Tres. The victim was threatened with a knife, robbed, forced into his own vehicle, and driven several blocks before being released. His money, wallet, boots, and vehicle were stolen.

The stolen vehicle later became connected to a shooting involving members of the rival Lynwood Paragons gang. Although the convictions were eventually reversed on appeal due to evidentiary issues, the case remains one of the earliest public records linking CV3 to serious violent crime and gang rivalries.

Anaheim Armed Robbery (2005)

In September 2005, authorities arrested individuals connected to Compton Varrio 3 following an armed robbery in Anaheim.

According to court testimony, the victim was followed into an apartment complex stairwell where a gunman pointed a handgun at his face and demanded money. Investigators later recovered a firearm hidden near the suspects’ vehicle and discovered jail correspondence identifying one of the participants as a CV3 member.

Court proceedings revealed that the robbery had been committed for the benefit of the gang, and testimony further indicated that relatives of established CV3 members had helped expand the gang’s presence into neighboring communities such as La Mirada.

Golden Street Murder (2012)

One of the most significant modern cases involving Compton Varrio 3 occurred in September 2012.

Court records describe a confrontation on Golden Street in Compton in which a CV3 member allegedly told residents they were standing in his neighborhood and identified himself as belonging to CV3. After a brief argument, the suspect left the area before returning a short time later.

The dispute escalated when the suspect allegedly produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds at Salvador C., fatally wounding him. Witnesses later identified the shooter, and investigators linked the getaway vehicle to another documented CV3 member.

The case highlighted the role territorial disputes can play in gang violence and remains one of the most widely cited homicide prosecutions involving the gang.

Allies And Rivals

They are allies of Compton Varrio 70s and all Compton Crips, especially the Santana Blocc Compton Crips. Historically, Compton Varrio Tres has maintained rivalries with several nearby Latino gangs operating throughout the Willowbrook-Compton area. Former law enforcement officials have identified Florence 13, Willowbrook Winos, 155th Street, and the Lynwood Paragons as among the gang’s oldest documented rivals, dating back to the 1970s.

During this period, they also clashed with early African American gangs, such as the Compton Farmers and the Swamp Boys, now known as the Original Swamp Compton Crips. They are rivals of all Piru gangs, particularly the Mob Piru and Lueders Park Piru. The CV3 also has a long-standing rivalry with the Compton Tortilla Flats

Recent Activity

Despite decades of gang injunctions, arrests, and demographic changes, Compton Varrio Tres remains active in Compton. Younger generations continue to claim the neighborhood through graffiti, social media, and street-level activity.