The Spanish Cobras stabbed a member of the Latin Kings during the annual Chicago Puerto Rican Parade in June 1977.
Chicago Police then shot indiscriminately into the crowd, killing two innocent bystanders, thus igniting the Humboldt Park riot.
Behind prison walls in November 1978, The Spanish Cobras are one of the original nations to join the new Folks alliance of the Gangster Disciples.
In the 1980s, according to criminologist John Haggerdon's book Insane the Chicago Way, "What began to take shape was the daring plan of gang leaders incarcerated in Statesville—Fernando "Prince Fernie" Zayas from the Maniac Latin Disciples, Anibal "Tuffy C" Santiago from the Insane Spanish Cobras, and David Ayala from the Two Sixers—to create a local Latino Mafia.
"Young Spanish Cobra sets opened like wildfire in Logan Square at Shakespeare & Central Park (“Young & Crazy”), Central Park & Dickens (“Wild Side”), Tripp & Dickens (“The Terror Dome”); Monticello & Cortland (“Murder City”) branched into Cortland & Lawndale (“Cobrasland”).
[1] That same year; in retaliation for the murder of a high-ranking member, the West-Town Cobras shot up a Latin Kings wedding, resulting in casualties.
After a nine-month undercover narcotics investigation, in January 1998 the Chicago Police Department arrested 31 Spanish Cobras in "Operation: Mongoose", including some gang leaders.
When a Spanish Cobra Nation boss was released from prison in 2019 after serving 20 years, he intensified the war on the street to reclaim old turf.