The Professionals were a California-based professional crime syndicate which primarily operated out of Los Angeles during the early 21st century. Most of its members were US Marine Corps veterans who were hired to provide courier and bodyguard services for a wide variety of valuable employers, engaging in drug dealing, arms smuggling, contraband trafficking, and private security services. The Professionals were a diverse gang with white, African-American, and Hispanic members, and they often dressed in suits, sports coats, collared fabric bomber jackets, and business attire to keep up the "professional" image.