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October 27, 2005

ICE National Gang Enforcement Report
More than 1,500 Gang Members Arrested to Date
October 11 - October 24
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is pleased to announce a major milestone with the arrest of more than 1,500 gang members since Operation Community Shield was launched in February, 2005. We mark this milestone with the latest five arrests taking place in Denver, CO; Charleston, SC; Kansas City, MO; and Wichita, KS.

OVERVIEW
ICE launched Operation Community Shield in February 2005 to confront the national problem of violent street gangs. The goals of the initiative are to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute violent street gangs by employing the full range of authorities and investigative tools available to ICE.

Under this initiative, ICE is employing its broad immigration authorities (both criminal and administrative immigration authorities) against foreign-born gang members. ICE is also employing its broad customs authorities to combat drug trafficking and other crimes committed by these gangs.

In addition, ICE is using its considerable financial investigative expertise to target the financial infrastructure of these criminal organizations and their illegally derived assets.

PARTNER AND PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Strong partnerships and cooperation with existing local, state, and federal anti-gang efforts are essential to the success of Operation Community Shield.

On October 14, federal agents from ICE, in cooperation with the Huntersville Police Department, conducted a proactive gang enforcement action in Huntersville, NC. ICE received a request for assistance by local police after intelligence indicated that gang members operating in the Huntersville area had knowledge of several law enforcement officers’ residences. Six Mexican nationals and members of the SUR-13 gang were arrested during this enforcement action. One arrest resulted in a criminal charge by the Huntersville Police Department for Possession of Stolen Property/Shotgun.

STATISTICS
Below are statistics on the arrests of gang leaders, gang members, and gang associates. These include arrests on criminal charges as well as arrests on administrative immigration charges.

Arrests
Total to date: 1,502 October 17 - 23: 30

Top 10 gangs/by number of arrests

MS-13 (746)
SUR-13 (27
18th Street (52)
Latin Kings (33)
Vatos Locos (32)
Tortilla Flats (32)
Mexican Posse (20)
Sombra Negra (15)
Muertos Trece (12)
Florencia
CASE EXAMPLES
October 20: Atlanta – Latin King Member Sentenced to 149 Months in Prison For Re-Entry After Deportation
Former member of the Latin Kings gang was sentenced to 149 months in prison and three years of supervised release after being convicted on Aug. 3rd for re-entering the United States after having been deported and for violating the terms of his supervised release. Lorenzo Sotelo-Camacho, a national of Mexico, received 125 months for the re-entry conviction and 24 months for the violation of his release. Officers of the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office arrested Sotelo-Camacho on December 2004 on battery and obstruction of justice charges. ICE special agents subsequently charged Sotelo-Camacho for re-entering the country again after having been deported. Sotelo-Camacho has an extensive criminal history including convictions for criminal trespass, battery, forgery, theft by receiving and burglary. He was deported from the United States in 2003 after completing his sentence for a 1999 re-entry after deportation conviction.

October 13: Houston – “Mexican Mafia� Prison Gang Member Arrested
ICE special agents arrested a member of the violent “Mexican Mafia� prison gang after receiving information from the Montgomery Sheriff’s Office. Pedro Sanchez, 27, from Mexico, was previously deported in October 2002. He now faces criminal charges for re-entering the U.S., which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Montgomery County officers first arrested Sanchez for public intoxication on Oct. 3. Officers then contacted the ICE Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC), which identified Sanchez as a previously deported felon. He was taken into custody to face his municipal charge, and then turned over to ICE authorities.

October 14: Atlanta – ICE Agents Arrest Four Gang Members With Criminal Histories
ICE special agents in Atlanta, GA took custody of four (4) gang members from the Dekalb County Detention Center. The gang members, who entered the United States without inspection, included a Peruvian national and Canadian national from the MS-13 gang and two Mexican nationals from the Barrio Siete and Vatos Locos gangs. All four individuals have criminal histories and collectively they have been convicted of charges for Possession of a Sawed-Off Shotgun, Robbery, Theft, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. All of the individuals are in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

* Photos and wanted posters of the fugitives are available at www.ice.gov.