http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13178139.htm

3 suspects in violent gangs are in custody

Three gang suspects, one a fugitive from a murder charge and the other two without proper immigration papers, have been arrested in South Florida.

BY ALFONSO CHARDY

achardy@herald.com


Three men accused of belonging to dangerous street gangs have been picked up by federal agents in South Florida, including one sought on murder charges in the Fort Myers area, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Tuesday.

SERIOUS CHARGES

Pedro Quintero, 19, a suspected Latin Kings member, was picked up Friday and faces murder charges in Lee County, according to a statement from the Homeland Security agency.

The other two -- Selvin Valle, 21, and Alexander MartÃÂ*nez, 23 -- were detained Nov. 9 as alleged members of Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13. Both are from Honduras. They were charged with being illegally in the country and are facing possible deportation.

CRACKING DOWN

The arrests were the latest in a periodic series of detentions of suspected gang members by the immigration agency in South Florida.

It is part of a nationwide initiative aimed at rooting out violent gang organizations.

Federal investigators have targeted suspected gang members in 27 states, including Florida.

Latin Kings and Mara Salvatrucha, which include Central American immigrants, are among the largest gangs in the United States.

TEAMING UP

The arrests were made by South Florida's gang suppression task force, which uses officers from several agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, the Miami-Dade School Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the South Miami Police Department.