Sgt. Wes McBride, a gang expert with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, agrees.

Even prosecutors, his own attorneys, and gang experts declined comment outside of court.

One gang expert wrote, "Putting young gang members in prison is like sending them to criminal college" [ref].

American gang experts have been brought in and increased funding for programs in troubled neighbourhoods have been recently initiated.

One gang expert who said she strongly supported the Police Department initiative added that nonetheless, injunctions may not work here as easily as they have in California.

The story of how a Chicago street criminal may have become an operative for Al Qaeda baffled law enforcement officials and gang experts.

"It's easier to track your driving record than an alien's criminal history," said Officer Frank Flores, a gang expert with the Los Angeles Police Department.

- London Met's gang expert, Simon Hallsworth has been looking at their role in the summer riots.

Several officers in the Honduran National Police, who presented themselves as "gang experts," said that the larger the tattoo, the more dangerous the gang member.

At his trial, the court called in a "protected gang expert," to explain what Mr. Nolasco's tattoos meant.