Posted on 06/15/2005 7:27:19 PM PDT by Happy2BMe
ICE ARRESTS 14 MEMBERS & ASSOCIATES OF MS-13 GANG IN NEW JERSEY ON DRUG CONSPIRACY, DOCUMENT FRAUD, AND IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS
-- Suspected leader of MS-13 clique in Elizabeth is among those arrested --
NEWARK, N.J. – Christopher J Christie, United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, and Kyle Hutchins, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Newark, today announced that 14 members and associates of the violent street gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), including the gang’s suspected local leader, have been arrested in Elizabeth and Somerset, New Jersey.
Thirteen of the gang members were arrested on criminal complaints issued in the District of New Jersey. The criminal complaints charge ten of these individuals with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and three of these individuals with conspiracy to transfer false identification documents. The narcotics count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The false document count carries a five-year maximum prison term and a $250,000 fine.
The remaining one individual was charged with administrative immigration violations, specifically Section 212 (a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The arrests, which began at 4:00 AM this morning, involved more than 100 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. They were the culmination of an eight-month investigation called “Operation Spiderweb,” which was conducted by the ICE Newark Special Agent-in-Charge Office, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Plainfield Police Department.
The investigation targeted suspected criminal members and associates of the MS-13 street gang operating in Elizabeth area. The probe was significantly enhanced through the use of court-authorized wire intercepts on cellular phones utilized by members of the Elizabeth MS-13 gang
These wire intercepts helped investigators develop critical evidence against Melvin Murillo, a 27-year-old native of El Salvador suspected of being the leader of the Elizabeth MS-13 street gang, as well as several of his gang associates. ICE agents arrested Murillo this morning on a criminal charge of conspiracy to distribute narcotics. Murillo and the other criminal defendants are scheduled to have initial appearances today at 2:00 PM before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald J. Hedges.
During the arrests and searches this morning, law enforcement officers seized two handguns, a quantity of suspected cocaine, as well as fraudulent Social Security and immigration documents. One suspect was attempting to flush these documents down the toilet when agents arrived at his residence.
“Taking these individuals off the streets will make the neighborhoods of Elizabeth a safer place for everyone. ICE is especially grateful to its law enforcement partners in New Jersey for making this important operation possible,” said ICE Special Agent-in-Charge Hutchins. “Today’s case is the latest enforcement action in ICE’s national anti-gang initiative called ‘Operation Community Shield,’ which has resulted in the arrest of more than 300 MS-13 gang members nationwide since February.”
Operation Community Shield is a national ICE initiative designed to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute violent gang organizations by employing the full range of authorities and investigative tools available to ICE. Under the initiative, ICE employs 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 of gang members.
“MS-13 has a reputation in this country and abroad as being among the most vicious and remorseless street gangs, as they establish and protect territory and stake out their claims in various illegal ventures,” said U.S. Attorney Christie. “They are relatively new in New Jersey, and we intend to stamp them out before they flourish here. We can do that with this kind of cooperative effort between federal agents, state and local law enforcement and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.”
The individuals charged and arrested as part of today’s operation are:
# ICE #
“Taking these individuals off the streets will make the neighborhoods of Elizabeth a safer place for everyone. ICE is especially grateful to its law enforcement partners in New Jersey for making this important operation possible,” said ICE Special Agent-in-Charge Hutchins. “Today’s case is the latest enforcement action in ICE’s national anti-gang initiative called ‘Operation Community Shield,’ which has resulted in the arrest of more than 300 MS-13 gang members nationwide since February.”
==============================
“MS-13 has a reputation in this country and abroad as being among the most vicious and remorseless street gangs, as they establish and protect territory and stake out their claims in various illegal ventures,” said U.S. Attorney Christie.
Ping, my friends....check out those countries!!!!!
Oh my, I'm glad they got them
how about minute man type patrols from our own government and no guest amnesty program?
how about minute man type patrols from our own government and no guest amnesty program?
..............and no biometric junk!
Wouldn't it be great if we could return them by air? And I mean without a parachute.
The Minutemen showed that manpower can be applied effectively in a designated area.
Augment manpower with technology...as a force multiplier...and you have something. Implement a barrier to limit and direct the traffic....to increase efficiency. It can be done...its not rocket science.
The Minutemen proved that point.
They are only here doing jobs Americans won't do.
We need a Guest Worker Program.
A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a May 15, 2005 LOS ANGELES TIMES article: "L.A. VIOLENCE CROSSES THE LINE" (Note: "trans-border Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) street gang") (Read More...)
Note: The following text is an exact quote:
===
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/050615westpalm.htm
June 15, 2005
ICE TEAMS UP WITH LOCALS TO ARREST 3 MS-13 GANG MEMBERS
Arrests part of “Operation Community Shield”
WEST PALM – A 22-year-old citizen of Guatemala charged with aggravated battery, assault on a firefighter and shoplifting is among three members of the violent street gang “Mara Salvatrucha” (MS-13) arrested here under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE’s) anti-gang initiative “Operation Community Shield.”
Miguel Pedro Gaspar was arrested without incident at his home in Lake Worth, Florida. According to ICE’s investigative records, Gaspar was order removed by an immigration judge Jan. 31, 2005 but failed to leave the United States as ordered to do so.
“We are committed to identifying gang members like Gaspar who terrorize the communities we live in,” said Keith Perniciario, acting special agent-in-charge of ICE in Miami. “ICE will continue working around the clock to disrupt and dismantle this criminal element.”
Also arrested were brothers Efer Jonathan Roblero Aguilar, 24 and Carlos Hernan Roblero Aguilar, 21, both citizens of Mexico. The Aguilar brothers are being charged under section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for entering the country without inspection.
All three are being held at the Krome Detention Center awaiting the outcome of their cases.
Today’s arrests are part of “Operation Community Shield,” an ICE national anti-gang initiative launched in March of this year to target members of the MS-13 gang. To date, ICE special agents, working with their federal, state and local counterparts have arrested more than 300 MS-13 members nationwide.
Operation Community Shield is designed to disrupt and dismantle violent gang organizations and prosecute their members 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
Operation Community Shield draws on 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 Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, the Lake Worth Police Department, the Miami-Dade Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol and ICE detention and removal officers assisted with making today’s arrests.
# ICE #
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1423854/posts
"Two Dozen Suspected Gang Members Arrested; Raids Targeting Violent Hispanic Street And Prison Gangs"
Channel 9, Los Angeles ^ | 6-15-05
Posted on 06/15/2005 10:32:06 PM PDT by doug from upland
Two Dozen Suspected Gang Members Arrested
"Raids Targeting Violent Hispanic Street And Prison Gangs"
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Jun 15, 2005 4:14 pm US/Pacific SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) Federal authorities arrested two dozen men Wednesday in raids targeting violent Hispanic street and prison gangs in Orange County.
The U.S. district attorney's office also unsealed two racketeering indictments that together charge 40 people with using extortion and violence to control drug dealing in the county and in Santa Ana.
Alleged Mexican Mafia leader Peter Ojeda, 63, of La Habra was among those arrested Wednesday. He was charged in an indictment returned by a grand jury June 8 that alleges three counts including racketeering, drug trafficking and methamphetamine distribution."
Bumping your post, Cindy. Thanks.
Thanks for the bump Brad's Gramma.
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