Gangs and factions in Story Mode mark neighborhoods, rural towns, and federal turf with colors, clothing, and vehicle choices that signal where you are safe.
Group type
Street Gangs
Street Gangs entries and their turf, look, and specialty within the game world.
Ballas
A purple Davis street gang that holds Grove Street and wars with The Families in Story Mode.
- Territory
- Davis, including Grove Street, Covenant Avenue, Brouge Avenue, and Davis Avenue
- District
- South Los Santos
- Leader
- D; Stretch
- Specialty
- Drug trafficking
- Gang color
- Purple
The Families
A green South Los Santos street gang whose Forum Drive set includes Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis.
- Territory
- Chamberlain Hills, Strawberry, Forum Drive, Carson Avenue, and parts of Davis
- District
- South Los Santos
- Leader
- Franklin Clinton; Lamar Davis
- Specialty
- Street hustle
- Gang color
- Green
Los Santos Vagos
A yellow Rancho street gang that appears in Repossession when Franklin and Lamar repo a Vagos bike.
- Territory
- Rancho, including Jamestown Street and the Rancho Projects, plus Cypress Flats
- District
- South Los Santos
- Leader
- Miguel Madrazo?
- Specialty
- Arms trade
- Gang color
- Yellow
Varrios Los Aztecas
A turquoise Mexican street gang based around the Alamo Sea that attacks Trevor's Sandy Shores meth lab.
- Territory
- Northern Rancho and Blaine County around the Alamo Sea, including Ortega's trailer
- District
- East Los Santos
- Specialty
- Street protection
- Gang color
- Turquoise
Marabunta Grande
A Salvadoran El Burro Heights gang with no named Story Mode members that steals Michael's boat in Father/Son.
- Territory
- El Burro Heights and Vespucci Beach, with night activity in the East Vinewood drain
- District
- South Los Santos
- Specialty
- Human trafficking
- Gang color
- Blue
Group type
Criminal Organizations
Criminal Organizations entries and their turf, look, and specialty within the game world.
Madrazo Cartel
Martin Madrazo's Mexican-American cartel based at La Fuente Blanca, drawn into the story after Michael wrecks his house.
- Territory
- La Fuente Blanca on Senora Road
- District
- Los Santos
- Leader
- Martin Madrazo
- Specialty
- Cartel operations
- Gang color
- Brown
Los Santos Triads
Wei Cheng's Chinese crime syndicate, a Story Mode antagonist group that moves on Trevor after partnering with the O'Neil Brothers.
- Territory
- Little Seoul, with the Raven Slaughterhouse in Cypress Flats as a front
- District
- South Los Santos
- Leader
- Wei Cheng
- Specialty
- Counterfeit goods
- Gang color
- White
The Lost MC
An outlaw motorcycle club in Stab City and East Vinewood that Trevor tears through after killing Johnny Klebitz.
- Territory
- Stab City in Blaine County, a Grapeseed front, and an East Vinewood clubhouse
- District
- Blaine County
- Leader
- Johnny Klebitz
- Specialty
- Meth trade
- Gang color
- Black
O'Neil Brothers
A Grapeseed meth-dealing family whose ranch lab Trevor destroys after they take his Triad deal.
- Territory
- O'Neil Ranch, Grapeseed, Blaine County
- District
- Blaine County
- Leader
- Elwood O'Neil
- Specialty
- Meth cooking
- Gang color
- Brown
Trevor Philips Enterprises
Trevor Philips' Sandy Shores meth and arms crew, run with Ron, Chef, and Wade rather than a GTA Online Organization.
- Territory
- Sandy Shores, including the Ace Liquor meth lab and Sandy Shores Airfield
- District
- Blaine County
- Leader
- Trevor Philips
- Specialty
- Arms and meth
- Gang color
- White
Group type
Agencies and Private Military
Federal and private security factions tied to compounds, convoys, and business fronts rather than neighborhood turf.
Federal Investigation Bureau
The federal agency run in Story Mode by Steve Haines and Dave Norton, using the protagonists against the IAA.
- Territory
- FIB Headquarters, Pillbox Hill, Los Santos
- District
- Downtown
- Specialty
- Federal law
- Gang color
- Blue
International Affairs Agency
A federal intelligence agency based in Pillbox Hill that battles the FIB for funding throughout the Story Mode agency plot.
- Territory
- IAA Headquarters, Pillbox Hill, Los Santos
- District
- Citywide
- Specialty
- Intelligence
- Gang color
- Blue
Merryweather Security
A private military company at the Los Santos Naval Port that the protagonists raid throughout Story Mode.
- Territory
- Los Santos Naval Port, Elysian Island
- District
- Port of Los Santos
- Leader
- Mr. Christensen
- Specialty
- Private military
- Gang color
- Black
Group type
Cults
Cult and community groups that appear around specific missions and rural locations.
Epsilon Program
Cris Formage's Rockford Hills cult, the group behind Michael's Epsilon Strangers and Freaks missions.
- Territory
- Epsilon Center on Spanish Avenue, Rockford Hills
- District
- Grand Senora Desert
- Leader
- Cris Formage
- Specialty
- Cult
- Gang color
- Light Blue
Altruist Cult
A Chiliad Mountain baby-boomer cult with no named members that pays Trevor for hitchhikers until the camp shootout.
- Territory
- Altruist Camp in the Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness
- District
- Chiliad Mountain
- Specialty
- Cult
- Gang color
- Brown
How gangs shape the map
Territory is the main clue. A gang that holds a district appears more often there, drives its favored cars through the streets, and posts members near mission givers or safe areas. Crossing a border can flip the crowd from neutral to hostile without any story trigger.
Colors and clothing confirm the faction before a weapon is drawn. Jackets, hats, and vehicle paint read faster than the minimap when traffic is dense or night has fallen.
Respect, missions, and hostility
Many entries in this era use a respect or loyalty system. Helping one gang can lower standing with its rivals and change which phones ring and which bosses trust you. That is why the same district can feel quiet in one chapter and tense in the next.
Mission ties matter when a job asks for a gang car or a specific neighborhood. Knowing which faction drives which vehicle saves a long search, especially where spawn points cluster near industrial yards, docks, or housing blocks.
Using the comparison fields
Leader, territory, district, gang color, symbol, gang car, and specialty stay together per row so you can compare factions at a glance. Specialty explains what the group does rather than where it parks, while territory and district explain where you will meet it. If a row shows no value for a field, that detail was not documented for this title rather than missing from the game.
For Story Mode, note the difference between street gangs and larger criminal or agency factions. Street crews stay tied to neighborhoods, while federal and private military groups appear near specific compounds, business fronts, or security convoys.
FAQ
How do I tell gangs apart on the street?
Use clothing color, gang car, and district. A faction that favors a car or color in one neighborhood will repeat that pattern near its turf.
Why is a gang hostile without a mission trigger?
Territory and story progress decide hostility. Crossing into rival turf or advancing the story can flip a district from neutral to aggressive.
Do gangs affect available missions?
Yes. Boss phones and mission givers tie to specific crews, so respect or chapter progress changes who offers work and where the phone rings.
What does specialty tell me?
Specialty describes the crew business, such as narcotics, protection, arms, or political cover. It explains why a gang holds a particular district, how it looks and why it holds it.
Why are some fields blank?
A blank means that detail was not verifiable for this title. The row keeps the verified fields and leaves the rest empty rather than guessing.