Immigration agents arrest more than 1,100 people during anti-gang operation

Photos: Immigration agents arrest more than 1,100 people during anti-gang operation

BY CBS 4 NEWS MONDAY, MARCH 28TH 2016

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HSI Special Agents inspect an arrested individual's tattoos for signs of gang affiliation. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

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Federal agents have arrested more than 1,100 people -- all suspected gang members -- during a five-week operation called Project Shadowfire.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrests Monday.

Agents arrested people suspected of belonging to gangs linked to drug networks, human smuggling and sex trafficking, according to a news release from the agency.

Gangs targeted during the operation included MS-13, the Sureños, the Bloods and several prison gangs.

More than 900 people were charged with criminal offenses, according to the news release. About 130 more were detained on immigration violations.

http://valleycentral.com/news/local/...gang-operation

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TRANSNATIONAL GANGS

03/28/2016

ICE arrests more than 1,100 in operation targeting gangs

More than 40,000 arrested since inception of Operation Community Shield in 2005

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WASHINGTON — A five-week operation, dubbed Project Shadowfire, netted 1,133 arrests, including more than 900 transnational criminal gang members and others associated with transnational criminal activity, like drug trafficking, human smuggling and sex trafficking, murder and racketeering. The operation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and concluded March 21.

“This operation is the latest example of ICE’s ongoing efforts, begun more than a decade ago under Operation Community Shield, to target violent gang members and their associates, to eradicate the violence they inflict upon our communities and to stop the cash flow to transnational organized crime groups operating overseas,” said ICE Director Sarah R. Saldaña.

Since the inception of Operation Community Shield in February 2005, HSI special agents, working in conjunction with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, have made more than 40,000 gang-related arrests and seized more than 8,000 firearms.

Project Shadowfire was a surge operation conducted under Operation Community Shield, and led by the HSI National Gang Unit. Between Feb. 15 and March 21, HSI special agents worked with numerous state, local and federal law enforcement partners, including ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), to apprehend individuals from various gangs.

Most of the individuals arrested during Project Shadowfire were U.S. citizens, but 239 foreign nationals from 13 countries in Central America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean were also arrested. Of the 1,133 arrests, 915 were gang members and associates, 1,001 were charged with criminal offenses and 132 were arrested administratively for immigration violations.

The majority of arrestees were affiliated with gangs like MS-13, Sureños, Norteños, Bloods and several prison-based gangs. Enforcement actions occurred around the country, with the greatest activity taking place in the Los Angeles, San Juan, Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, and El Paso areas.

HSI special agents also seized 150 firearms, more than 20 kilograms of narcotics and more than $70,000 in U.S currency.

About Operation Community Shield

Operation Community Shield is a global initiative, started by ICE in 2005, in which HSI collaborates with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to combat the growth and proliferation of transnational criminal street gangs, prison gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs in the United States and abroad. Through its domestic and international Operation Community Shield task forces, HSI leverages its worldwide presence and expansive statutory and civil enforcement authorities to mitigate the threats posted by these global networks, often through the tracing and seizing of cash, weapons and other illicit proceeds.

Partnerships with state, local, federal and international law enforcement agencies are critical to the success of HSI gang enforcement operations. Law enforcement partners provide actionable intelligence which is critical in targeting gangs and their membership for enforcement actions. HSI special agents use intelligence gathered from surge operations to pursue complex criminal enterprise investigations and federal prosecutions.

The National Gang Unit oversees HSI’s expansive transnational gang portfolio and enables special agents to bring the fight to these criminal enterprises through the development of uniform enforcement and intelligence-sharing strategies.

Recent National Gang Unit-led operations include: Southern Tempest in 2011, targeting gangs affiliated with drug trafficking; Project Nefarious in 2012, targeting gangs involved in human smuggling and trafficking; Project Southbound in 2014, targeting the Sureños, the fasting growing transnational gang in the U.S., and Project Wildfire in 2015, the largest gang surge conducted by HSI to date.

Additionally, for the past three years, ICE has held an anti-gang conference with the U.S. Department of State in Mexico City to provide training and capacity building for international law enforcement officers to combat and prevent gang activities.

To report suspicious activity, call ICE's 24-hour, toll-free hotline at: 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or visitwww.ice.gov/tips.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ic...argeting-gangs

Thousands of violent repeat offenders arrested in nationwide sweep

CRIME 03/28/2016, 11:35am

27 Chicago-area gang members arrested in nationwide ICE sweep

Sun-Times Wire

A five-week nationwide operation by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement led to the arrests of 27 Chicago-area gang members.

Project Shadowfire, a five-week operation targeting gangs, netted 1,133 arrests nationally and 27 in the Chicago area, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

All 27 men arrested in the Chicago area were members or associates of street gangs, including the Latin Kings, Maniac Latin Disciples and Gangster Disciples, according to a statement from ICE.

Fifteen were foreign nationals from Mexico and Belize; 12 were U.S. citizens who were turned over to local law enforcement on outstanding warrants; and four were foreign nationals previously deported from the United States who illegally re-entered the country.

The majority of the arrests were made in Chicago, and the rest in Cicero, Deerfield, Maywood, North Chicago, Rosemont, Skokie, Summit and Waukegan.

One of those arrested was a 32-year-old Latin Kings gang member with prior convictions for aggravated robbery with a weapon, burglary, drug possession, soliciting a sex act and drunk driving, according to the statement. He was arrested Feb. 28 in Maywood.

Another was a 30-year-old previously deported Latin King with prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He was arrested again Feb. 22 in Chicago.

A third arrest was that of a 27-year-old Latin King with prior convictions for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and theft. He was arrested March 7 in Chicago.

All three remain in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.

27 Chicago-area gang members arrested in nationwide ICE sweep | Chicago Sun-Times

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Feds Arrest 185 In Los Angeles Area In Operation Targeting Transnational Gangs

March 28, 2016 12:16 PM

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A five-week federal enforcement action targeting criminal gang members and others associated with transnational criminal activity resulted in more than 1,100 arrests nationwide, including 185 in the greater Los Angeles area, officials said Monday.

The operation, dubbed Project Shadowfire, was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, and was part of ICE’s ongoing Operation Community Shield.

“During the course of the operation, which ran from Feb. 15 to March 21, special agents in the Southland and across the country worked closely with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate known gang members and gang associates, including more than 900 individuals linked to transnational criminal activity, such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, sex trafficking, and racketeering,” according to an ICE statement.

Most of the people arrested during Project Shadowfire were U.S. citizens, but 239 foreign nationals from 13 countries in Central America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean were also arrested.

Of the 1,133 people arrested nationwide, 915 were gang members and associates; 1,001 were charged with criminal offenses; and 132 were arrested administratively for immigration violations.

Enforcement actions occurred around the country, with the much of the operation taking place in the Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, and El Paso areas.

As part of Project Shadowfire, special agents also seized 150 firearms, more than 40 pounds of drugs, and more than $70,000 in U.S currency.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/...ational-gangs/

Press Release| Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:10am EDT

GAI and NEC Help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with Mobile Biometric Technology to Assist in Border Enforcement Efforts

Mobile Biometric Technology Deployed to Identify Those Unites States Immigration Cases Requiring Priority Enforcement

NEC Corporation of America (NEC), a leading provider and integrator of advanced IT, communications, networking and biometric solutions, and Government Acquisitions, Inc. (GAI), a leading Federal Information Technology (IT) solutions provider and small business, today announced they have successfully delivered to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Mobile Identification (ID) Technology. The Mobile ID technology selected is NEC Corporation of America’s NeoScan45® device.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will integrate 2 and 10 print mobile biometric collection to enhance existing fixed platform capabilities to allow collection of biometrics in the field. This ability to identify or verify the subject at the point of encounter is paramount to officer safety, timely and accurate decision-making, efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and meeting the mission to protect the American public.

“GAI is pleased to provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with the Mobile ID solution,” says Jay Lambke, president, GAI. “This will help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leverage the rapid capture of biometrics by officers and agents in the field providing for faster results.”

“NEC’s NeoScan45 mobile ID handheld device capture of up to 10 fingerprints, both rolls and flats, and its multi-operating system support including both iOS and Android, led to the selection of the NeoScan 45,” said Raffie Beroukhim, vice president of Biometrics Solutions Division, NEC Corporation of America. “We are pleased to be part of this implementation team and work closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this critical deployment”.

In addition to working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, GAI delivers IT solutions to the Department of Defense and Federal civilian agencies via a broad range of contract vehicles including the NIH CIO-CS, NASA SEWP V, Army ITES-3H, GSA Schedule, and a series of other IDIQ and BPA contracts. The company has been honored for dedication to the mission with awards including the DHS “Outstanding Achievement Award,” the USDA “Small Business Achievement Award,” and the IRS “Small Business Partner of the Year Award.”

GAI and NEC Help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with Mobile Biometric Technology to Assist in Border Enforcement Efforts | Reuters