Posted on 03/16/2005 6:24:40 AM PST by srm913
A violent street gang whose members were arrested as part a nationwide sweep by Immigration and Customs officials on Monday had ties to al Qaida, U.S. intelligence officials say.
Officials said the Central American gang MS-13 is one of the largest and most violent street gangs in the United States, and the majority of its members are in the country illegally. The gang has carried out beheadings and grenade attacks in Central America and is known to hack their enemies with machetes in cities along the East Coast in the United States.
Intelligence officials warned in January that al-Qaida members have been seen in El Salvador with MS-13 members, raising concerns the gang may be smuggling terrorists into the United States.
Homeland Security Deputy Secretary James Loy called MS-13 an emerging threat to the United States, referring to the gang and al-Qaida in the same breath in testimony to Congress. Besides al-Qaida, Loy said, "We are seeing the emergence of other threatening groups and gangs like MS-13 that will also be destabilizing influences."
Local law enforcement officials are aware of MS-13's al Qaida link.
"The terrorist aspect, especially when you think in terms of 9/11 and how intent these terrorists are, will turn the heat up on our efforts with MS-13," Boston police Detective Joseph Fiandaca told reporters at the time.
"MS-13 is the most dangerous gang in the area," he said. "They are big. They are mobile. Now they have a terrorist connection."
103 members of MS-13 were arrested on Monday, with the highest concentration coming from the New York metropolitan area.
Pretty hard to do when you consider that there may be as many as 750,000 gang members in this country (heard that on the news this morning). Thats almost as many folks as are in the Army and Navy combined.
MS-13 is also linked to the "Zetas". A Mexican paramilitary terrorist Smuggling group. The Zetas themselves are also reported to be in contact With Arab terrorists, who have offered to help the Zetas in a plot to Break their leader out of prison in Mexico.
A Confidential FBI memo outlined The plot, and the memo was leaked to Dallas Morning News reporters Alfredo Corchado and Jason Trahan:
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?p=&58752
The Zetas reportedly have long ago obtained SAM-7 anti-aircraft missiles through their links to the MS-13 terrorists, and have had plenty of time To smuggle those weapons across our undefended border with Mexico:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id= 903
http://www.soaw.org/new/newswire_detail.php?id=r4
Jerry Seper of the Washington Times has reported extensively on the Zetas obtaining these anti-aircraft missiles, that were originally sold to the Nicaraguan government by the Soviets.
So, there you have it. The Soviets sold the anti-aircraft missiles to the Nicaraguan government. The Nicaraguan government fell to the Communists.
In the 1980s, with the help of rebels from El Salvador. Some of those rebels returned to El Salvador and founded the MS-13 gang. MS-13 now has documented ties to both Al-Qaida and the Mexican gang known as the "Zetas".
The Zetas operate with impunity along the southern border of the USA, smuggling drugs, people, and weapons into our nation. The Zetas are known to have obtained SAM-7 missiles from Nicaragua, with the help of the El Salvadoran MS-13 terrorist group.
Those anti-aircraft missiles are inside the USA right now, folks, in the hands of terrorists. One of these missiles was fired at US civilian airliner taking off from LAX on 28 Nov 2005.
The war is not "coming". The war is here. The war is now.
Give them guest worker status and let'um go.
March 14, 2005
ICE LAUNCHES OPERATION COMMUNITY SHIELD WITH THE ARREST OF 103 MS-13 GANG MEMBERS IN SIX U.S. CITIES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Michael J. Garcia, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), today announced the arrest of 103 members of the violent street gang Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) across the nation as part of a new anti-gang initiative called “Operation Community Shield.”
Since late last month, teams of ICE agents working with their federal, state, and local counterparts have arrested 30 MS-13 gang members in the New York metropolitan area; 25 in the Washington, D.C. metro area; 17 in the Los Angeles metro area; 10 in the Baltimore metro area; 10 in the Newark metro area; and 10 in the Miami metro area. One arrest was also made in the Dallas metro area. The individuals were arrested on a range of criminal and /or administrative charges.
The 103 individuals arrested to date are accused of violations that range from felony charges of re-entering the United States after deportation, to violating state anti-gang injunctions, to violating the terms of their immigration status due to prior convictions for attempted murder, sodomy, assault, arson, weapons possession, and narcotics violations. Roughly half of these 103 individuals have prior arrests or convictions for violent crimes. Several also have charges of murder pending against them. For example:
* On March 13, ICE agents in Los Angeles arrested an individual who admitted he was one of the founding members and leaders of the MS-13 clique in Hollywood, California. A former member of the Salvadoran military, the suspect has prior convictions in the U.S. for robbery, possession of a dangerous weapon, and mail theft. He was arrested on administrative immigration violations.
* On March 10, ICE and the Long Branch (New Jersey) Police Department arrested an individual suspected of being the leader of the MS-13 clique in Long Branch, New Jersey. The suspect has a prior criminal history of aggravated arson, weapons possession, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. He was arrested on administrative immigration violations.
* On March 10, ICE and Suffolk County (New York) Police Department arrested an individual suspected of being one of the original MS-13 clique leaders in Port Washington, New York. The suspect has a prior conviction for marijuana possession. He was arrested on administrative immigration violations.
Operation Community Shield is a nationwide ICE anti-gang initiative designed to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute violent gang organizations by employing the full range of authorities and investigative tools available to ICE. Under this initiative, ICE is employing its broad immigration authorities (both criminal and administrative) against gang members, as well as its customs authorities in targeting narcotics smuggling, money laundering, and in seeking the forfeiture of assets.
This initiative also involves strong partnerships and cooperation with existing federal, state, and local anti-gang efforts. Such partnerships are essential to the success of the initiative and to ensure officer safety during operations. The enforcement actions to date have been conducted in coordination with law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels. ICE will also be working through its 54 Attache offices overseas to cooperate with foreign governments that are also experiencing gang problems, particularly those in Central America.
Under this operation, ICE uses intelligence on gang organizations and leadership provided by state and local authorities. This information is then used whenever possible to arrest, prosecute, and/or deport individual gang members.
The initial target of Operation Community Shield is MS-13, which is one of the largest and most violent street gangs in the United States. The majority of MS-13 members are foreign nationals in this country illegally, making them subject to ICE’s criminal and administrative immigration authorities. ICE plans to use these immigration tools to arrest, prosecute, and where appropriate, remove these individuals from the United States. ICE coordinates all deportations with the foreign nations receiving these individuals.
At the same time, many MS-13 members derive income from the sale of illegal drugs and other contraband, making them subject to ICE’s counter-drug, financial, and other investigative authorities. Seizure and forfeiture of funds, property, and other illegally-derived assets will be another component of the initiative.
Over the coming months, ICE will be using all these tools in a combined fashion with the ultimate goal of crippling MS-13 organizations across the country. Ultimately, Operation Community Shield will also target other violent street gangs.
“Operation Community Shield is an important public safety initiative for the Department of Homeland Security that targets the proliferation of gang violence throughout the country. By bringing the full range of ICE’s immigration and customs authorities in the fight against violent street gangs, we can take hundreds of gang members off the streets and have a significant impact on community safety,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Garcia.
“Operation Community Shield is about partnerships with law enforcement at all levels. Only through coordination with our law enforcement counterparts can we dismantle these organizations and restore calm to our communities. I am extremely proud of the joint enforcement efforts thus far and look forward to continued work with authorities across the nation,” said Marcy Forman, Director of ICE Investigations.
Operation Community Shield builds on several prior anti-gang initiatives conducted by ICE agents in conjunction with federal, state, and local authorities in specific jurisdictions. In each of these initiatives, ICE used its broad immigration and customs authorities to help authorities in these areas to disrupt gang activity and reduce gang-related crime.
In Charlotte, for example, ICE agents worked with local authorities throughout 2003 to arrest and remove from the United States more than 100 foreign-born MS-13 gang members. In the three years before this operation, approximately 20 homicides in Charlotte had been attributed to MS-13. Since the operation, there has been a dramatic decline in homicides in Charlotte attributed to MS-13.
Similarly, in a five-week crackdown on gang members in San Diego, California, area, ICE agents worked with local authorities to arrest 45 gang members from October through November 2004. Local law enforcement touted the joint operation as a success in reducing violent gang-related crime.
# ICE #
Press releases can be skimmed here:
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/archive/mar05.htm
This is a very interesting article you pinged me to though. thank you. I have a few things clipped that I can't figure out. see below: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1526294/posts?page=9#9
Statement of
Chris Swecker
Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Before the
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
House International Relations Committee
April 20, 2005
>>>>Although there have been recent media reports alleging that MS-13 gang members have met with an al-Qa'ida operative in Honduras and that al-Qa'ida financed a MS-13 gang summit, there is no credible, independent reporting to support or otherwise corroborate these reports. Current analysis also supports the assessment that it is unlikely that MS-13 and al-Qa'ida would form an overt partnership for both security and ideological reasons.<<<<<<
From main article post:
>>> The Bush administration has said Padilla, a former Chicago gang member, sought to blow up hotels and apartment buildings in the United States and planned an attack with a "dirty bomb" radiological device.<<<<
And more gang linkage here from official sources:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1420911/posts
America's Most Dangerous Gang
Why do they think that AQ working with gangs is unrelated???
"Why do they think that AQ working with gangs is unrelated???"
Good question....it is as plain as the nose on our respective faces.
FYI, my post is unclear.
Where it says:
"From main article post:
>>> The Bush administration has said Padilla, a former Chicago gang member, sought to blow up hotels and apartment buildings in the United States and planned an attack with a "dirty bomb" radiological device.<<<<"
That is referencing the main article in this post:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1526294/posts?page=9#9
Not this current one in this thread.
I have Chris Swecker's report to the House International Relations Committee here at this link:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1526294/posts?page=9#9
He even states that the info about AQ links came from rumors floated by the MSM and not officials.
I've been casually collecting gang stories. All the AQ relations have come from official sources, not MSM. Just MSM reporting the info.
I don't understand the reason for the downplaying here.
Well, for one thing, it would shoot Bushs' amnesty program right out of the water.
That is an interesting tidbit.
THANKS for the ping Calpernia.
The amnesty program is for this issue, not gangs.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1530000/posts
Illegal Immigration, Human Trafficking, and Organized Crime
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1529927/posts
CIS - Canada: The Organized Crime Marketplace in Canada
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1472612/posts
Sex Tourism: Addressing the Demand for Trafficking
For more links see FR Keyword Searches: human trafficking, ICE, sex tours
I would couple them, but I do see your point.
Oh! Welcome to FR!
"MS-13 got started in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadorans fleeing a civil war. Many of the kids grew up surrounded by violence. Del Hendrixson of Bajito Onda, a gang-outreach program, remembers an MS-13 member who recounted one of his earliest memories: guarding the family's crops at the age of 4, armed with a machete, alone at night. When he and others reached the mean streets of the L.A. ghetto, Mexican gangs preyed on them. The newcomers' response: to band together in a mara, or "posse," composed of salvatruchas, or "street-tough Salvadorans" (the "13" is a gang number associated with southern California). Over time, the gang's ranks grew, adding former paramilitaries with weapons training and a taste for atrocity. MS-13 eventually adopted a variety of rackets, from extortion to drug trafficking. When law enforcement cracked down and deported planeloads of members, the deportees quickly created MS-13 outposts in El Salvador and neighboring countries like Honduras and Guatemala."
----snip----
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7244879/site/newsweek/
Thank you very much, and also for all the research you shared with me.
>>>>Over time, the gang's ranks grew, adding former paramilitaries with weapons training and a taste for atrocity.
From my thread here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1483299/posts?page=7#7
Excerpt:
http://www.controlarms.org/documents/chapter1_colour.pdf
Throughout Latin America, the rapid growth and increasing power of private security companies is a real concern. According to the Guatemalan government, there are about 116 private security companies operating in the country, employing 35,000 agents: an unofficial force greater than the entire army, and twice the number of police officers. In El Salvador, fewer than half of the 17,000 private security agents had done a five-day training course as required by law.
/copy
From the information I was reading when I made that thread, I was given the impression that private security firms were training and arming gang members.
bump
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