Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Foxtrot Network, a transnational criminal organization (TCO) primarily based in Sweden that has trafficked illicit drugs and that carried out attacks on Israelis and Jews in Europe, along with its fugitive leader Rawa Majid. In January 2024, the Foxtrot Network orchestrated an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, on behalf of the Government of Iran. “Iran’s brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime’s attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe,”...

One of the major cop-outs in the illegal immigration debate is this: There are millions and millions of foreigners already here. It would be an overwhelming task to find and deport them all. Let me suggest a good starting point – an all-out declaration of war on the organized criminal street gang MS-13, comprised mostly of illegal aliens and now threatening the lives and quality of life of nearly all Americans nationwide. Just last week, for instance, the Washington Post reported three leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha participated in or planned four murders in the area during a span of...

Efforts by a street gang to recruit Fairfax County youths have led to the arrests of seven Chantilly area teenagers, ages 13 and 16... ...this time, the Latino gang Sur 13, with roots tracing to a notorious Mexican prison gang in Southern California, tried to pick up more members at Franklin Middle School, just off Centreville Road in western Fairfax County, court records state. A student at Franklin reported to the school resource officer that a student approached him during lunch period and asked him to join his gang, according to an affidavit for a search of the alleged gang...

Note: The following text is a quote: 11 arrested during ICE-led joint operation in Myrtle Beach, S.C., targeting gangs Arrests include members and associates of 18th Street, Latin Kings, and Sur13 street gangs MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Nine foreign-born gang members and associates and two U.S. citizens with ties to local violent street gangs were arrested here Wednesday following U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-led investigation. The operation, dubbed Community Shield, was a multi-agency effort spearheaded by ICE. Among the participating agencies were the Myrtle Beach Police Department's Gang Unit, 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit, Myrtle Beach Police Department's Street...

Reputed gang members have been disappearing from the streets of South Florida. Four members of the Latin Kings in Broward, gone. The leader of a Mara Salvatrucha-13 crew in Lake Worth, nowhere to be seen. Members of Los Vatos Locos and 18th Street Gang, vanquished from the streets of Miami. On Friday, it was revealed why. LocalLinks During the past few weeks, authorities have rounded up 22 suspected gang members in South Florida as part of a national sweep that netted 375 gang members in 23 states. The initiative is part of Operation Community Shield, an anti-gang program aimed at...

President Joe Biden’s immigration crisis is hitting home in an all-new way. For border state residents, of course, the long, national nightmare has been ongoing since before Biden took office. More recently, Democratic-run cities like New York and Chicago have felt the pain. Now, upscale homes in what used to be considered safe neighborhoods are getting a taste, too. And one dangerous piece of technology is playing a role.

We are learning more about the suspects wanted in several high-end burglaries across Oakland County. In some cases – hundreds of thousands of dollars in valuables are gone, and it’s believed an international crime ring is behind it all, so-called crime tourists. "If you see something, say something," said Sheriff Michael Bouchard, calling on residents to look for anything out of the ordinary. He says that transnational gangs are coming primarily from South America targeting wealthy communities in the US. Bouchard said they are casing and targeting high-end residences, grabbing cash, jewelry, watches, precious metals, high-end purses, and electronics. "We...

Today, senior law enforcement officials from the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras announced criminal charges in Central America against more than 700 members of transnational cr57's postiminal organizations, primarily MS-13 and 18th Street gangs, which resulted from a one-week coordinated law enforcement action under Operation Regional Shield (ORS).ORS began in 2017 and is a Justice Department-led initiative to combat transnational organized crime that brings together gang prosecutors and investigators from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the United States. Through quarterly meetings, this group has coordinated multi-country investigations and simultaneous takedowns throughout the region. Authorities also announced the...

Note: The following text is a quote: September 11, 2009 ICE works with local law enforcement to arrest 23 gang members BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Twenty men, two women and one juvenile with ties to the violent gangs Sureno-13, La Quemada, MS 13, Brown Pride 13, Southside Locotes, Lejion Negra (Mexico) and Judas 13 (Mexico) are facing deportation following a four-day enforcement operation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and several local law enforcement agencies. The arrests were made as part of an ongoing initiative by ICE's National Gang Unit dubbed Operation Community Shield. As part of the initiative, ICE...

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, working in conjunction with federal, state and local law enforcement partners across the United States, have arrested the 10,000th gang member under operation Community Shield, according to a report submitted to officials of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. This ongoing operation started in 2005 to curb gang violence and weed out transnational gangs gaining hold in urban and suburban US cities. Transnational gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout the country. It is estimated that there are over 900 different criminal gangs roaming US streets and neighborhoods. These gangs...