Thread: Dozens of foreign-born gang members nailed in sweep

Dozens of foreign-born gang members nailed in sweep
By JAMES WALSH, Star Tribune

August 14, 2008

Dozens of illegal immigrant gang members from Mexico and other countries have been swept up in the past two weeks by federal agents and Twin Cities-area police, officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Thursday.

Called Operation Community Shield, the ongoing effort netted 50 arrests, including 35 gang members and seven gang associates from 10 Twin Cities-area gangs. Of the 50 arrested, 38 are illegal immigrants, said ICE spokesman Tim Counts.

Participating law-enforcement agencies also arrested 10 U.S. citizens and two permanent residents, also known as green-card holders, on various state and federal charges, including weapons possession, possessing illegal drugs and criminal traffic offenses. Twelve of those arrested have previous convictions, including assault, drug possession, criminal damage to property, burglary, disorderly conduct and drunken driving.

Of the illegal immigrants arrested, Counts said, 29 come from Mexico, six from Honduras, two from El Salvador and one from Ecuador.

Counts said most of the arrests were in Minneapolis and St. Paul. But police and agents also swept up gang members in Richfield, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, Maplewood, Columbia Heights and West St. Paul.

Federal prosecution

Officials are moving to deport the illegal immigrants arrested, Counts said. But three suspects will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's office for prosecution -- two for re-entering the United States after previously being deported and one for possessing a controlled substance. It is a felony to re-enter the United States after going through formal deportation proceedings. They face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Operation Community Shield is a nationwide effort to go after what ICE calls "transnational street gangs." About 10,000 gang members from 700 different gangs have been apprehended since the effort began in February 2005.

Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Bloomington, was the architect of Operation Community Shield when he worked in Washington, D.C.

"Street gangs pose a growing public-safety threat to communities throughout Minnesota," Arnold said. And foreign-born gangs pose a "huge problem" for communities, he said. Because gang members are from other countries, they often maintain relationships with criminals abroad, fueling ongoing smuggling operations of drugs, weapons and people, Arnold said.

Local agencies

Working with local law enforcement is critical to dismantling them, he said.

Locally, ICE worked with several agencies, including the Metro Gang Strike Force, Brooklyn Park Police, Richfield Police, the State Patrol, the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The two-week effort began July 28 and ended Aug. 9, Counts said.

"It's made an impact, and it's helping us gather additional information on the gangs and the gang members. And, as long as they're locked up, they're not shooting anyone," he said.

Jim Heimerl, assistant commander of the Metro Gang Strike Force, said, "A lot of people think that everybody who comes to Minnesota just wants to live here, wants to work here. But these guys, they victimize people."
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul ... c:_Yyc:aUU

50 Minnesota gang members, associates and immigration violators arrested during ICE-led operation

August 15, 2008 - 06:48:10 - BLOOMINGTON, MN. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents - in partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement officers - arrested 50 gang members, gang associates and immigration violators in the greater Twin Cities area during a two-week operation that ended Friday. This is the latest joint action of an ongoing national ICE effort to target transnational gang members called "Operation Community Shield."

Of the 50 arrested during this operation, 35 are gang members; seven are gang associates. They represent the following 10 area gangs: Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Sureño 13, Vatos Locos, 18th Street Gang, Murda Gang, Somali Outlaws, We So Krazy (WSK), Gangster Disciples, Bloods, and Native Mob.

ICE agents also arrested eight illegal aliens with no known gang affiliation who were encountered during the targeted arrests. Thirty-eight of those arrested are illegal aliens and have been placed in deportation proceedings. They include aliens from the following countries: Mexico (29), Honduras (6), El Salvador (2) and Ecuador (1).

Participating law enforcement agencies also arrested 10 U.S. citizens and two U.S. permanent residents ("green card" holders) on various state and federal charges, including: possessing weapons, possessing illicit drugs, and criminal traffic offenses.

Twelve of those arrested had previous convictions which included: assault, possessing illicit drugs, damage to property, burglary, disorderly conduct, and drunken driving.

The multi-agency operation, which began July 28 and ended Aug. 9, targeted transnational gang members and associates in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. This ICE-led operation was conducted in partnership with the Metro Gang Strike Force. Other participating agencies included: Brooklyn Park Police Department; Richfield Police Department; the Minnesota State Patrol; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

"Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout Minnesota," said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Bloomington. "This operation shows how ICE works with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle these criminal organizations." Arnold oversees a five-state area, which includes: Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

"Everyone is finally realizing that no law enforcement agency can successfully address the gang problem alone," said Jim Heimerl, assistant commander of the Metro Gang Strike Force. "Together, we can make a positive impact on community safety."

Most of the arrests were made in Minneapolis and St. Paul; however, arrests were also made in the following local cities: Richfield, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, Maplewood, Columbia Heights and West St. Paul.

Three of those apprehended have been referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minneapolis for criminal prosecution - two for re-entering the United States after having been deported, and one for possessing a controlled substance. It is a felony to re-enter the United States after being formally deported, punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.

These arrests were made under an ongoing national ICE initiative called "Operation Community Shield," in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the significant public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs. Partnerships with local law enforcement agencies are essential to the success of the initiative, and they help further ensure officer safety during the operations.

Since ICE began Operation Community Shield in February 2005, more than 10,000 gang members belonging to more than 700 different gangs have been arrested nationwide. More information on Operation Community Shield is available at: www.ice.gov.

The public is encouraged to report suspicious activity by calling ICE's toll-free hotline at: 1-866- 347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
http://tinyurl.com/65a75l

50 less of the 100,000,000 to deport; but how many crossed illegally into the country yesterday, and today?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RELATED POST AND ARTICLE:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-128093.html

POST Poll NEED YOUR VOTES:

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-127794.html

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-126464.html