Texas Aryan Brotherhood Gang of Texas

Law enforcement officials are saying it publicly, but the Texas Aryan Brotherhood gang that originated in Texas prisons and then later moved onto the streets as being strong suspects. The Aryan Brotherhood is believed to have been formed in San Quentin state prison, California, in the 1960s. But Clark said the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas is run autonomously and not linked to the wider group. The ABT, or Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, is well represented in the Texas prison system and is responsible for some of the most violent acts imaginable.

Texas congressman Ted Poe, a former judge and prosecutor, said on Tuesday that he believed "the Aryan Brotherhood" would be behind the killings, although he did not specifically identify the ABT. Perhaps most damningly, the Texas Department of Public Safety had issued a statewide bulletin warning in December that the ABT was "actively planning retaliation against law enforcement officials" who helped secure the 34 indictments in Houston. Kaufman County's district attorney's office was among the agencies on the case.

The governor said the FBI and the Texas Rangers are assisting the Kaufman County Sheriff's Department with the investigation. Judge Wood said several county officials are under protection and district attorney's offices in Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties all confirmed that they've enacted extra security precautions, while declining to discuss specifics.