Posted on 01/14/2006 9:38:12 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Authorities arrested 11 alleged Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos gang members and the alleged gang leader this week, marking the beginning of the end of a nearly three-year-long investigation.
The arrests were made Thursday and Friday as part of several raids executed by Laredo police, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and area law enforcement as part of the investigation dubbed "Operation Pistol Whipped" which began in May 2003.
Authorities raided several homes in Laredo and Houston in the pre-dawn hours. Nine people were arrested Thursday in Laredo and two more were arrested in Houston. A twelfth suspect, another Laredoan, was arrested Friday.
The defendants arrested include the alleged "manager" of the gang, Rogelio "Roy" Mendoza, 40, of the 500 block of East Frost; Alberto Rodriguez Jr., 39, of the 400 block of Baffin Bay; Rogelio Ramon Polendo, 30, of the 3800 block of Banderas; Roel Vasquez, 34, of the 2800 block of Davis; Veronica Adriana Talamantes, 26, of the 2800 block of San Eduardo; Chuck Gutierrez, 35, of the 2800 block of South Martin; Fernando Valdez, 34, of the 1700 block of Burnside; Reynaldo Palos Jr., 38, of the 200 block of Esperanza; and Jaime Castro, 33, and Luis Antonio Montes, 35, both of Laredo.
The other two suspects arrested Thursday, Sandra Treviño Anzaldua, 34, and Ismael Anzaldua Jr., 32, reside in the 19200 block of Amy Lane in Porter, which is near Houston.
"This is proof that gangs and organized crime can be stopped," said Laredo police spokesman Juan Rivera. "It was a slow, painful process, but worthwhile. This investigation will seriously disrupt the operations of this gang in Laredo."
FBI spokesman Norman Townsend agreed.
"It took the assistance of several federal, state and local agencies working together to culminate the arrest of these subjects," he said. "This is definitely a huge step forward and a positive move in the right direction in the fight against violent criminal gang members."
The 12 defendants were indicted on 17 counts of federal drug and firearm possession, conspiracy, distribution and other criminal violations, according to the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of Texas.
The 17-count indictment was unsealed Friday after all 12 defendants appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge.
All 12 defendants will remain in federal custody pending their detention hearings set for Jan. 23.
Among the charges the defendants are faced with include engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to posses with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of cocaine, felons in possession of weapons and possession of weapons during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
The 12 are accused in connection with drug trafficking and conspiracy charges involving a large amount of cocaine, money, weapons and people working together for a single purpose to make money through the sale and distribution of cocaine.
Police said the 12 defendants acquired the cocaine and distributed it.
The cocaine is said to have been stored in several stash houses in Laredo, then transported to other areas such as San Antonio and Houston to be sold, Rivera said.
All of the 12 defendants arrested Thursday and Friday are U.S. citizens and thought to be either members, prospective members or otherwise affiliated with Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos (Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen), a prison gang.
The HPL prison gang was formed in the Texas prison system and is notorious for engaging in drug trafficking and other illegal activities within and outside the walls of the Texas prison system, federal officials said.
(Celina Alvarado can be reached at 728-2566 or celina@lmtonline.com.)
You gotta love it!!
ping
Pistoleros Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
That's all well and good, but why did it take 3 years?
another good thing about this is that any of them who happen to be naturalized "citizens" can be stripped of their citizenship and deported.......even if for nothing but not paying taxes on their ill-gotten gains.
Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen?
Another Texas prison gang like the Mexican Mafia or "La Eme".
Drug and Firearms possession !
Wait for the pandering presstitutional spin to state they were busted for cold medicine in other than a original prescription bottle and BB guns......poor Mex-Tex Gangbangers....sniff, whimper.....clearly racism !
Pass the Posole will ya.....
< / SARCASM>
In other news, members of a notorious prostitution ring were arrested today...
So much for preventing crime as I am sure there were plenty of victims over those 3 years.
THREE YEARS!?
I am not impressed with the ratio of effort and tax money spent to results.
Drug dealers are usually easy to spot, it would seem this was a prison based gang, so most of the members should have had records, making them easier to recognize.
Glad they got them, but sorely disappointed at the time and money spent to do it.
Why three years?
Softly, softly catchee monkey. It takes a long while to infiltrate a drug ring to the point where the buyer is at or near the top.
why did it take 3 years?
They had money to spend, they needed to hire more people, get more military firepower,the officers close to retirement needed lots of overtime to pad their pensions,etc. etc.
This story appears on page 2 of today's Orange County local section under "Topics of Interest." I'd add a link but I'll be danged if I can locate it in the on-line version.
7 ARRESTED IN AUTO-SALES STING
Seven employees of an Anaheim car dealership were arrested on suspicion of allowing buyers to use fake Social Security numbers on credit applications, police say Friday.
Undercover police officers posing as potential customers bought cars at North County Toyota using fictitious socal security numbers and a check cashing identification card, Sgt. Rick Martinez said.
Arrested were Reza Aklhaghi, 49, of Aliso Viejo; Apolinar Contreras, 43, of North Hollywood; Pablo Gabriel Garro, 26, of Hacienda Heights; Oscar Molina, 42, of Covina; and Robert Alvarez, 44, Adrianna Barros, 19, and Jose R. Medina, 42, all of Anaheim.
Tim Robinett an attorney for the dealership, said the company stands by its reputation.
That's Orange County (CA) Register.
Law enforcement or no, it is still a government run operation. When has the government been fast and efficient at anything?
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!
Oh ... and that gubmint is you an' me.
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