Operation ‘shuts down’ gang
Members of the Caldwell Police Street Crimes Unit stand in the audience at a Tuesday morning press conference at the Canyon County Courthouse, where officials announced the arrest of local members who formed the hierarchy of a major Treasure Valley gang.
Greg Kreller/IPT
More Photo Galleries Mike Butts
mbutts@idahopress.com
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

CALDWELL — Law enforcement agencies from many jurisdictions joined together for a crackdown on a Caldwell street gang, resulting in more than two dozen felony arrests.

Authorities believe the large-scale effort will cripple Caldwell's East Side Locos gang.

"This has never been done before, to take so many ranking gang members off the street," Canyon County Prosecutor John Bujak said during a press conference at the courthouse.




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Leadership 'shut down'

Operation Street Sweeper, a three-day task force action held June 3 through June 6, yielded 27 felony arrests in all, according to officials.

Bujak said the arrests "shut down" the leadership of the East Side Locos in Caldwell.

"The hierarchy of that gang no longer exists," Bujak said.

The East Side Locos form a valleywide gang with about 250 documented members in Caldwell, police said.

Although other gangs exist in the Treasure Valley, the circumstances that came together in the investigation led authorities to focus on the East Side Locos, Bujak said. Although it's possible that other gang members will fill in for the arrested gang leaders, the county's top attorney said he's not sure if that's happening now.

Officials also said there have been no "negative repercussions" from the arrests.

The East Side Locos and other area gangs are not territorial, despite their name, Caldwell Police Chief Chris Allgood said.

"It's not the ... turf war you see in other" cities, he said.

More arrests to come

Officials charged 15 adult suspected gang members in the sweep with a total of 14 felony counts; two are charged with seven counts, 11 with four counts and two with three counts. Officials also arrested three juveniles ages 16 to 17 who officials petitioned to be waived to adult court.

Potential penalties for each of the felony charges are five to 10 years in prison.

Of the 15 adults with felony indictments 12 are from Caldwell, one is from Nampa, one is from Notus and one is from Payette. Their ages range from 18 to 29. Three are still at large and two were already in custody.

Officials said there will be more gang member arrests to come.

Authorities said the arrests came after a long investigation that included contact with 116 gang members. There were also 137 misdemeanor citations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processed seven people for removal from the United States.

Other felony charges made against some arrested suspects included conspiracy to intimidate witnesses and conspiracy to unlawfully discharge a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

Agencies join forces

The task force included law enforcement agencies from across the Treasure Valley and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The charges for those arrested include conspiring to supply firearms to and recruit gang members.

The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, which led the investigations and arrests, includes the Nampa and Caldwell police departments and the Canyon County Sheriff's Office.

"This group has been doing exactly what they were designed to do, and we are seeing the results of their work," Allgood said.



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