Thread: FBI: Gangs (MS-13) behind 80% of U.S. crime

FBI: Burgeoning gangs behind up to 80% of U.S. crime

Los Angeles Police Department officers question MS-13 members in 2007. The ubiquitous gang, which originated among Salvadoran refugees settling in L.A. in the 1980s, has spread to 42 states, with cells in suburban and rural areas.
By Robert Nickelsberg, Getty Images
Los Angeles Police Department officers question MS-13 members in 2007. The ubiquitous gang, which originated among Salvadoran refugees settling in L.A. in the 1980s, has spread to 42 states, with cells in suburban and rural areas.



By Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY
Criminal gangs in the USA have swelled to an estimated 1 million members responsible for up to 80% of crimes in communities across the nation, according to a gang threat assessment compiled by federal officials.

The major findings in a report by the Justice Department's National Gang Intelligence Center, which has not been publicly released, conclude gangs are the "primary retail-level distributors of most illicit drugs" and several are "capable" of competing with major U.S.-based Mexican drug-trafficking organizations.

"A rising number of U.S.-based gangs are seemingly intent on developing working relationships" with U.S. and foreign drug-trafficking organizations and other criminal groups to "gain direct access to foreign sources of illicit drugs," the report concludes.

The gang population estimate is up 200,000 since 2005.

Bruce Ferrell, chairman of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association, whose group monitors gang activity in 10 states, says the number of gang members may be even higher than the report's estimate.


"We've seen an expansion for the last 10 years," says Ferrell, who has reviewed the report. "Each year, the numbers are moving forward."

'Growing threat' on the move

The report says about 900,000 gang members live "within local communities across the country," and about 147,000 are in U.S. prisons or jails.

"Most regions in the United States will experience increased gang membership … and increased gang-related criminal activity," the report concludes, citing a recent rise in gangs on the campuses of suburban and rural schools.

Among the report's other findings:

•Last year, 58% of state and local law enforcement agencies reported that criminal gangs were active in their jurisdictions, up from 45% in 2004.

•More gangs use the Internet, including encrypted e-mail, to recruit and to communicate with associates throughout the U.S. and other countries.

•Gangs, including outlaw motorcycle groups, "pose a growing threat" to law enforcement authorities along the U.S.-Canadian border. The U.S. groups are cooperating with Canadian gangs in various criminal enterprises, including drug smuggling.

Assistant FBI Director Kenneth Kaiser, the bureau's criminal division chief, says gangs have largely followed the migration paths of immigrant laborers.

He says the groups are moving to avoid the scrutiny of larger metropolitan police agencies in places such as Los Angeles. "These groups were hit hard in L.A." by law enforcement crackdowns, "but they are learning from it," Kaiser says.

MS-13 far-flung from L.A. incubator

One group that continues to spread despite law enforcement efforts is the violent Salvadoran gang known as MS-13.

Michael Sullivan, the departing director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, says the gang's dependence on shocking violence to advance extortion, prostitution and other criminal enterprises has frustrated attempts to infiltrate and disrupt the insular group's activities.

"MS-13's foothold in the U.S. is expanding," Sullivan says.

Kaiser says the street gang is in 42 states, up from 33 in 2005. "Enforcement efforts have been effective to a certain extent, but they (gang members) keep moving," he says.

MS-13 is the abbreviation for the gang also known as Mara Salvatrucha. The group gained national prominence in the 1980s in Los Angeles, where members were linked to incidents involving unusual brutality.

Since then, it has formed cells or "cliques" across the U.S., says Aaron Escorza, chief of the FBI's MS-13 National Gang Task Force.

The task force was launched in 2004 amid concerns about the gang's rapid spread. Gang members were targeted in broad investigations similar to those used to bust organized crime groups from Russia and Italy.

Among law enforcement efforts:

•Omaha: The last of 24 MS-13 members swept up on federal firearms charges and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine were sentenced last year in the largest bust since the group emerged there in 2004.

The gang's strength dimmed as a result, but the nine-month probe did not eradicate the group, says Ferrell, who assisted in the investigation.

•Nashville: During the last two years, 14 MS-13 members pleaded guilty on charges ranging from murder to obstruction of justice.

Davidson County, Tenn., Sheriff Daron Hall, whose jurisdiction includes Nashville, says MS-13 started growing there about five years ago, corresponding with an influx of immigrant labor.

Last April, county officials began checking the immigration status of all arrestees. "We know we have removed about 100 gang members, including MS-13," to U.S. authorities for deportation, Hall says.

•Maryland: Earlier this month, federal authorities said they had convicted 42 MS-13 members since 2005. More than half were charged in a "racketeering conspiracy" in which members participated in robberies and beatings and arranged the murders of other gang members, according to Justice Department documents.

In one case, Maryland gang members allegedly discussed killing rivals with an MS-13 leader calling on a cellphone from a Salvadoran jail, the documents say.

Escorza says a "revolving door" on the border has kept the gang's numbers steady — about 10,000 in the U.S. — even as many illegal immigrant members are deported.

The FBI, which has two agents in El Salvador to help identify and track members in Central America and the United States, plans to dispatch four more agents to Guatemala and Honduras, Escorza says.

"They evolve and adapt," he says. "They know what law enforcement is doing. Word of mouth spreads quickly."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200 ... htm?csp=34

In the words of the unforgettable Gomer Pyle -

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

I wonder if the National Hispanic Media Coalition will go after USA Today for even writing this article...

....related to this story..a new documentary on TV regarding violent gangs...lo and behold the first episode showcases MS-13...on Feb. 10th...

Investigation Discovery Explores the Dark and Hidden Cultures of Gangs Around the World in Gang Nation


SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Hosted by investigative journalist Ross Kemp, GANG NATION explores the mysterious and brutal existence of some of the world's most notorious gangs. Giving viewers a glimpse into gang mentality and lifestyle, Kemp immerses himself in the vastly different cultures in an attempt to better understand their violent behavior and understand what - if anything - is being done to control them. Each hour-long episode follows Kemp as he journeys around the globe into these organizations' inner worlds to interview members and their leaders and talk to people in the surrounding communities. GANG NATION makes its U.S. premiere Tuesday, February 10 at 10 PM ET on Investigation Discovery.

Informative and immersive, GANG NATION sheds light on the cultures and motivations of these notorious organizations like never before. In each episode, Kemp falls to the mercy of the gang members as he joins their everyday lives in an attempt to try and understand them. He receives unprecedented access through the organizations' leadership, local conduits and law enforcement. From MS13's origins in El Salvador to the expanding Neo-Nazis within Russia, Kemp's quests allow viewers to experience first-hand the gangs' local haunts and to better understand what makes these organizations tick. The series attempts to explain how each gang culture originated and why people choose to join, and also foreshadows what the consequences could be if the governments choose to intercede, or choose to turn a blind eye.

GANG NATION episodes include:

Episode 1: El Salvador

Ross Kemp journeys deep into the heart of El Salvador and meets with the MS13 (Mara Salvatrucha), known as one of the most dangerous gangs in the world, and their rivals the 18th Street gang. Kemp immerses himself with key members of the MS13 gang and examines the reasoning behind the members' involvement and the on-going war between the two gangs.

Episode 2: Moscow

Ross Kemp gets inside Moscow's vicious Neo-Nazi gangs and uncovers the motivation behind a recent wave of racist attacks. Kemp explores the extent to which these "national socialist" groups are gaining power in the country.

Episode 3: Cape Town

In this episode, Ross Kemp gets access to the Numbers gang, a highly dangerous and volatile organization operating within Cape Town's prisons. Speaking with former prisoners and wardens, Kemp learns how these violent syndicates are able to flourish within the prison system, and experiences the terrifying sensation of incarceration among vicious murderers, rapists, and violent armed-robbers.

Episode 4: Jamaica

Ross Kemp infiltrates the criminal underworld within Kingston, Jamaica, known as the murder capital of the world. Rooted originally in politics, Kingston is home to two prominent gangs and the result is a bloody turf war funded by the drug trade and spawning a new generation of violent members.

Episode 5: Poland

In Poland, Kemp confronts the violent Neo-Nazi football hooligans who have become one of the most feared gangs in Europe. These groups are comprised of primarily young men with few prospects in life. They use violence as a means of escape and Kemp experiences a brutal face-off with police riot squads.

Episode 6: Columbia

For forty years, Columbia has been embroiled in civil war as paramilitary and guerilla forces fight for control. Gangs play a part in this conflict and Kemp meets with the most secretive of them all, the Sicarios. These small groups, mostly under the employ of the paramilitaries, operate as gangs of assassins and kill whoever is considered a threat.

Episode 7: East Timor

More than two-thirds of Timorese youth are believed to be in gangs, and Ross Kemp investigates the violent rivalry between two of East Timor's gangs, the Sacred Heart and the Seven Seven. The rivalries and actions of these gangs have brought the country to the verge of collapse, and Kemp travels with UN peacekeepers as he witnesses this youthful nation's descent into anarchy.

GANG NATION is produced for Investigation Discovery by Tiger Aspect Productions. Ross Kemp and Clive Tulloh are executive producers for Tiger Aspect, and Sara Burns is producer for Investigation Discovery. GANG NATION is the U.S. premiere of the series ROSS KEMP ON GANGS, which won a BAFTA award for factual programming.

About Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery (ID) is the source for fact-based investigative content about culture, history and the human condition. ID, the new authority in real investigations, is expanding partnerships with leading news organizations and production companies to bring the strongest analytic, factual investigative and current affairs programming to more than 52 million U.S. households. Providing the highest quality investigative programming focused on fascinating stories of human nature from the past to the present, ID's in-depth documentaries and series challenge viewers on important issues shaping our culture and defining our world. For more information, please visit investigation.discovery.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

For additional press information, please visit the Investigation Discovery portion of the Press Web at http://www.press.discovery.com

You can post a comment about this article at the USA TODAY Online site at this link:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200 ... ms13_N.htm

In Cleveland,TN the MS 13 murdered a man and then burned the body. They recruit in the local schools.

Now Cleveland,TN has another murder of an "immigrant" from Guatemala, Fredy Perez/Fredy Perez Roblero that occurred Friday, Jan. 23, 2009. The murder is suspected to be gang related according to the City Police. ICE, the US Marshal's Service, ATF, Drug Task Force and Bradley County Sheriff's Department are investigating. The City of Cleveland Police Dept. is out reassuring the hispanic, largely illegal alien community that they are their friends, trust them, and that they need not worry about being deported. Do nothing attitudes of City and County officials and law enforcement do not reassure the citizens, but allow illegal aliens to continue their unlawful lives, crimes, and patterns.

Psalm 91

FBI: Burgeoning gangs behind up to 80% of U.S. crime

Ya...and our government is behind the other 20%

..The City of Cleveland Police ..seems like they established a "de facto sanctuary" policy for illegals...which has proven time and again to make such jurisdictions magnets for criminal illegal aliens...the worst of the worst...word gets around and they know they can commit crimes, violate laws and they won't be asked about their immigration status....that is what happened in Newark, San Fransisco, Houston, Chicago, New York...any place that has either an implicit or explicit sanctuary policy is exactly where criminal aliens go to set up shop and hide amongst the "immigrant community".

I.C.E. News Release

August 06, 2008

ICE TAKES 10,000th VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIEN GANG MEMBER OFF U.S. STREETS

Effort shows ICE's commitment to target transnational illegal alien gang violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, working in conjunction with federal, state and local law enforcement partners across the United States, have arrested the 10,000th illegal alien gang member under operation Community Shield. This ongoing operation started in 2005 to curb gang violence and weed out transnational gangs gaining hold in urban and suburban U.S. cities.

Transnational gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout the country. It is estimated that there are over 900 different criminal gangs roaming U.S. streets and neighborhoods. These gangs no longer own turf in just the inner city but have spread their criminal networks throughout suburban and rural communities.

These transnational street gangs have a significant number of foreign-born members and are frequently involved in human and contraband smuggling, immigration violations and other crimes with a nexus to the border. Like any street gang, these transnational gangs also have a propensity toward violence. Their members commit myriad crimes including robbery, extortion, assault, rape and murder.

"This recent arrest, marking the 10,000th arrest under Operation Community Shield, is a significant milestone," said Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for ICE. "The violence being perpetrated by foreign-born gang members and associates is as shocking as it is pervasive. ICE is committed to using the full force of our enforcement authority to make our cities and towns safer from gang violence."

In a recent Chicago area Community Shield enforcement operation, one of the men arrested by ICE was Valentin Sierra-Martinez, a 20-year-old confirmed "Norteno-14" gang member. Sierra-Martinez is the 10,000th gang member or associate arrested by ICE as part of Operation Community Shield.

Sierra-Martinez, a Mexican national was in the U.S. illegally and has an extensive criminal background including convictions for residential burglary, domestic battery, possessing drug paraphernalia and knowingly damaging property. He remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.

ICE has the unique and powerful authority to remove foreign nationals from the U.S., including illegal aliens and legal permanent residents based on their criminal history.

ICE's Operation Community Shield statistics:

10,000 gang members/associates arrested

3,740 for criminal violations

6,548 administrative immigration violations

138 clique leaders arrested

4,074 with violent criminal histories

383 guns seized

Since inception, ICE agents working with hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide, have arrested members and associates of more than 700 different gangs including more than 2,000 MS-13 gang members.

ICE has received thousands of names of known and suspected gang members from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as from foreign governments. This information is routinely compared with ICE's immigration and customs databases to identify and prioritize gang suspects who may be subject to ICE's legal jurisdiction.

Operation Community Shield, part of the National Gang Unit at ICE gathers intelligence, develops sources of information to ultimately disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute violent street gang members and their organizations by employing the full range of ICE authorities and investigative tools.
-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 6, 2008

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0808/080806washingtondc.htm

Oh no, more hate speech for La Raza to point at.