Suspected Mexican gang members arrested in Indy
By THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR

July 20, 2007
Federal and local law enforcement agents this week arrested 14 illegal immigrant street gang members in Indianapolis.

The suspects, all Mexican nationals, are members of the Sur-13 and Norteños-14 street gangs, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

"Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities across the nation," Daniel Dill, resident agent-in-charge of the ICE office in Indianapolis, said in a statement. "Working in partnership with local law enforcement to take these individuals off the streets and remove them from the United States is a priority for ICE."

The FBI's Safe Streets Taskforce, Indiana State Police, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police assisted ICE in the arrests.

Agents seized about two pounds of marijuana, half-an-ounce of cocaine, a handgun, a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle and $5,000 during a raid late Wednesday.

The suspects include 12 members of the Sur-13 gang and two members of the Norteños-14 gang, officials said.

Daniel Mendez-Salinas, 20, one of the arrested Norteños 14 members, was turned over the Hendricks County authorities where he will answer to drunken driving charges before being deported, officials said.

José Pichardo-Lozano, 34, a member of Sur-13, was carrying cocaine, a compact digital scale and other drug paraphernalia when he was arrested, officials said. Pichardo-Lozano will be deported after he answers to a charge of cocaine dealing, officials said.

Twelve other gang members are in federal custody and will be deported.

Immigration agents have arrested more than 4,500 street gang members nationwide since launching a crackdown in 2005.


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