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Deputies help deport gang members

By Stephen Guilfoyle / Editor



The Chester County Sheriff's Office assisted in the arrest of two illegal immigrants who are members of a violent gang that steals cars and sells drugs.

The Rock Hill Police had arrested the two on minor charges. The men did not have proper identification, Carnes said.

The men were charged with traffic violations in Rock Hill, so they were not held long. When they were released on bond on the Rock Hill charges, the Rock Hill Police contacted the Chester County Sheriff's office and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, according to Chester County Deputy Kim Carnes.

Immigration Customs and Enforcement along with Rock Hill Detective Tim Ayers joined the sheriff's department for a “knock and talk” on May 25 at 121 Hemphill Ave. in Chester.

When they talked with the men in the home, the two admitted they were in the United States illegally.

Javier Avalos-Gonzalez, 25, told officers he entered the country illegally in 2004.

Jose Delgado Sanchez-Pena, 23, told officers he entered the country illegally in June of 2004.


Carnes said while the men were in custody in Rock Hill, officers there noted gang tattoos on the men. The tattoos mark them as members of Sureno-13, a gang into violent drug dealing and car theft, much like the MS-13 gang.

The ICE agents took the men to the Mecklenburg County Jail to be placed into deportation services.

The Mecklenburg County Detention Center Web site says Sanchez-Pena was “released” at 6 a.m. Thursday.

The same site lists a Francisco Javier Avalos-Gonzalez, same age, who was picked up on the same date and was also released at 6 a.m. Thursday.

Carnes has been appointed to handle the county's gang activity, which she said is picking up.

She met with agents from the State Law Enforcement Division on Wednesday, and showing the material she has gathered, identified at least 18 different known gangs.

Graffiti painted all over Chester County, from Edgemoor to Chester Middle School to even inside the jail itself bears gang identifiers.

Chester County is involved with a multi-jurisdictional gang task force that includes York County, the city of Clover police, Rock hill, Lancaster County and the Chester City Police Department.

Officers meet regularly to go over the activity they are seeing and “share information,” Carnes said.