August 07, 2007
Somerville MS-13 members now face deportation
By George P. Hassett
http://somervillenews.typepad.com/the_s ... -ms-1.html

Five alleged MS-13 members were arrested in the middle of a gang meeting July 13 by federal and local law enforcement officials. A sixth reputed MS-13 member was arrested walking down Broadway the same day, according to police. Of the six men arrested that day, five live in Somerville and two hold leadership positions within the gang, police said.

Boston Police Department investigators had noted a spike in MS-13 gang activity in the region, said Somerville Police Capt. Paul Upton, and planned the joint operation with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Everett, Chelsea, Revere and Somerville police. The operation eventually yielded the arrests of the six men on federal immigration law violations.

The men arrested were Oscar Leon, 26, of 202 Pearl St., Javier Garcia, 26, of 14 Pearl St., Walter Diaz-Ramos, 21, of 30 River Road, Edgar Alexander Erazo-Maldonado, 23, of 30 Aldrich St., Francisco Julio Tejada, 20, of 129 Irving St., Everett and Carlos Wilfredo Lones, 33, of 24 Indiana Ave. All but Leon were arrested at the gang meeting, held outdoors in an industrial section of the city, Upton said. Upton would not release the exact location of the meeting or which of the men held leadership roles within MS-13. All six men will now face deportation proceedings, said Paula Grenier, spokeswoman for ICE.

Somerville police became involved in the investigation when Boston police received information that the defendants planned to hold a gang recruitment meeting in the city July 13.

Acting Police Chief Robert R. Bradley said the action was not “an immigration law sweep, but a carefully targeted operation of previously identified gang members.â€