Thread: FBI Makes Arrests Against Violent Gang Members(MS-13)

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4950326/detail. ... d=10101581

FBI Makes Arrests Against Violent Gang Members
'Coordinated, Five-Nation Law Enforcement Effort' Results In Unknown Number Of Arrests
POSTED: 2:20 pm PDT September 8, 2005
UPDATED: 2:49 pm PDT September 8, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- The FBI Thursday conducted a "coordinated, five-nation law enforcement effort" against violent gangs, including the notorious Mara Salvatrucha-13 organization, which has a large membership in Los Angeles.

"These gangs are organizing internationally, and so are we," FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker said in a statement.

Thursday's actions included the participation of more than 6,400 police officers, federal agents or law enforcement personnel, operating in 15 states, as well as in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. An unknown number of people were arrested.

The effort was part of a series of actions undertaken with state, local, federal and foreign agencies, coordinated by the FBI's National Gang Task Force, which was established last year to fight gang violence.

The task force's first main target was the Mara Salvatrucha-13, also known as MS-13. The gang's presence has been identified in 33 states, the District of Columbia, Mexico and a number of countries in Central America.

MS-13's estimated membership is more than 10,000 in the United States, with the largest concentration in Los Angeles, Northern Virginia, Maryland and New York.

Swecker described Thursday's operation as "historic ... unprecedented in scope."

"By bringing together resources from the local, state, federal and international law enforcement community, all levels of U.S. law enforcement and our international partners are working together and sharing information," Swecker said.

"This represents but a beginning, another step, in an ongoing national and international effort to go on offense and to strike back against gang violence," Swecker said.

I don't know. This sounds a little weak. Why doesn't the FBI give numbers on arrests? The AP article said there were over 650 arrests in the US and abroad with 73 in the US. They had 6,400 law enforcement officers working this and all they could come up with is 73 in the US. There is supposed to be 10,000 of them here.