Posted on 03/23/2005 5:58:08 PM PST by Coleus
A nationwide crackdown on a violent Latin American street gang called MS-13 has so far led to the arrests of more than 100 alleged gang members in six states, including several in New Jersey, federal immigration authorities said yesterday.
The gang, established in Los Angeles in the 1980s by refugees of the Salvadoran civil war, has spread to Hispanic communities around the country while developing a reputation as one of America's bloodiest criminal organizations.
In New Jersey, where officials estimate there are hundreds of MS-13 members, the gang is believed to be responsible for several murders, but its activity has not reached the level of violence or sophistication that's been seen in other states, authorities said.
The roundup, called Operation Community Shield, began in late February and continued through last week. It focused on 103 gang members who had been flagged as illegal immigrants after being charged in a variety of crimes, from murder to shoplifting. With the immigration charges, they now face deportation or federal prison sentences.
"This is an opening shot in our war on MS-13," said Kyle Hutchins, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Newark office.
A more sweeping criminal investigation of the gang, targeting money-making enterprises such as drug dealing and immigrant smuggling, is now under way, authorities said. At the same time, the FBI has set up a national task force targeting the gang.
The New Jersey arrests were made in communities with burgeoning populations of Hispanic immigrants:
In Long Branch, authorities arrested the leader and a member of an MS-13 chapter called "Long Branch Locotes Salvatrucha."
In Plainfield, authorities nabbed an ex-con who had been deported to El Salvador in 1997 after serving five years in a California prison for armed robbery.
In New Brunswick, three members were arrested.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding this report: NewsChannel5.tv: Matamoros, Mexico - "MS-13/AL-QAEDA CONNECTION NewsChannel5 has uncovered that the infamous Mara Salvatucha Gang may ave ties to Al Qaeda" (Updated February 28, 2005) (Read More...)
A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a PoliceMag.com article: "AMERICA'S MOST DANGEROUS GANG Spreading from El Salvador to L.A. and across the United States, Mara Salvatucha 13 is increasingly well organized and deadly" by Shelly Feuer Domash (February 20, 2005) (Read More...)Google News Search Term: "MARA SALVATRUCHA" (Read More...)
Google News Search Term: "MS-13" (Read More...)
Ping
The feds got them here, and not other feds are capturing them. Talk about a government works program...
Google Search Term: "Long Branch Locotes Salvatrucha"
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Long+Branch+Locotes+Salvatrucha%22&hl=en&lr=&filter=0
ICE - News Release:
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/msgang031405ny.htm
March 14, 2005
Newark
"ICE LAUNCHES OPERATION COMMUNITY SHIELD, ARREST OF 103 MS-13 GANG MEMBERS IN 6 MAJOR U.S. CITIES
10 MS-13 members arrested in New Jersey as part of new national crackdown"
bump
And a ACLU suit on their behalf for Racial Profiling to follow.
ON THE NET...
http://www.ice.gov/
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http://www.local10.com/news/4312440/detail.html
"Police: Gang Member Arrested Pushing Cart Full Of Guns Down Street"
POSTED: 5:58 pm EST March 23, 2005
UPDATED: 6:13 pm EST March 23, 2005
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "MIAMI -- Miami police say they arrested a member of a violent street gang as he pushed a shopping cart carrying two .22-caliber rifles and a shotgun.
?Police arrested Edwin Reyes, 23, a citizen of Honduras, in downtown Miami Tuesday. They said he is a member of MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha 13)."
Ignore that question mark -- it's a formatting error.
Yup. The kids mentioned this group right before Spring Break started.
A shopping cart going down the street with guns.
Did the punk think he was still in Honduras, Mexico,
or LA?
Why aren't the churches of all the denominations involved? I see many don't have youth groups or have their clergymen out in the community trying to stem this violence and gang activity. You just can't leave it up to the government.
I have taught in two inner city schools. One for eight years and the second, where I am now for but a couple of months. Both have the largest BIBLE CLUBS in the district. You know that yearly ritual called Gather 'Round the Pole? where Christian kids gather at the start of every school year to pray about the upcoming year? Most schools in my district will get a maximum of a couple dozen kids. These two schools usually gather well over 100 students each time! The good kids are usually heavily involved in church. My students often finish their assignments for me and whip out a Bible and read it. I read my Bible whenever I get the chance and it rests on my desk. There is all kinds of Christian outreach in the black community. I see it all the time.
Some of my kids did an economics project I gave over the course of a semester in which they worked in teams and had to create their own business and there was a graphic component, written report and presentation in front of the class. These kids worked their A$$E$ off and on presentation day I cracked the back door of my portable and listened as they prayed for strength and to bring glory to the Lord. So don't tell me the Church is absent....the Body of Christ is hard at work everywhere.
So don't tell me the Church is absent....the Body of Christ is hard at work everywhere. >>
I didn't, it was just a generalized statement, and you mentioned nothing about church youth groups active at night. By me, the clergy are absent, so now with such good children in and around your schools, why then is there a gang problem.
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