http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/kouri/2005/08/mexican-mafia-new-crime-syndicate-in.html
Jim Kouri is Vice President of the
National Association of Chiefs of Police
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
"Mexican Mafia: New Crime Syndicate in California"
by Jim Kouri, CPP
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "An anti-gang task force arrested 15 defendants charged in a federal racketeering indictment with exercising control over Hispanic street gangs across Orange County, CA. The indictment alleges that members of the Ojeda Organization - named after leader and Mexican Mafia member Peter Ojeda - extorted "taxes" from street gangs and punished non-payers with assaults. In addition to the arrests made by well over 100 agents and officers associated with the Santa Ana Gang Task Force, ten defendants are already in state custody.
The three-count indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, asserts that the Ojeda Organization engaged in extortion and assault, as well as assisting in the distribution of narcotics throughout Orange County. Controlled by Peter Ojeda, the organization included high-ranking members of several Hispanic street gangs, which helped the organization exert its influence "from the streets of Orange County into the Orange County jail system and the California correctional system," according to the indictment."
Note: This url may be temporary.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/breaking/082205cars.php
Aug 22, 2005
"Border agents recovering more vehicles linked to smuggling"
The Associated Press
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "YUMA, Ariz. - Commercial human smuggling is on the rise in the Yuma area because of increased enforcement by Border Patrol agents in other parts of the state, according to a Border Patrol official.
Evidence of the increase includes a rise in the number of smuggling vehicles being recovered by the Border Patrol."