Thread: Gang undercover operation results in nearly 100 arrests

Narcotics-gang undercover operation results in nearly 100 arrests

By Angelica Martinez
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
4:32 p.m. September 28, 2009

SAN DIEGO — Nearly 100 people were arrested — half of them documented gang members — in a six-month undercover operation that targeted gang and narcotics crimes and also led to the closure of a day-care center, police said Monday.

Operation Red Sky, named by undercover officials after the Skyline gang they followed, culminated Monday in the arrest of 14 of the top shot-callers in the gang, police Capt. Jim Collins.

Police, with the help of the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, made a total of 93 arrests.

Officials recently closed the Little Buckaroos day-care center on Calle Primera in San Ysidro after two people were arrested in or near the business. The pair were armed and suspected of buying narcotics, Collins said. They were related to the owner of the day-care center.

A pizzeria in the Skyline neighborhood also shut down after police said they learned that narcotics were being sold to gang members there, police said.

Undercover officers seized 19 firearms, 240 marijuana plants, 10 pounds of marijuana, more than 17 pounds of powder cocaine, more than 3 pounds of crack cocaine and 2 pounds of methamphetamine. Also seized were more than 3,000 ecstasy tablets, 18 vials of PCP and more than $60,000.

One of the people arrested is suspected in a 2003 double-homicide outside Dr. J's Liquor Store in southeastern San Diego. Killed in that incident were Carol Waites, 45, of Valencia Park, and Sharen Burton, 32, of Temecula, who had stopped at the store on the way home from church on New Year's Day.

Authorities said that shooting was the result of a war between rival gangs. They said the attackers — who arrived in separate cars and used several weapons — were probably aiming for specific targets in the crowd. Several bystanders were struck instead.

Police said those arrested in the latest operation are suspected of attempted homicides, gang-related shootings, drug and weapons trafficking, robberies, pimping and weapons violations.

The arrests include male and female gang members, associates of gang members and those who supplied narcotics to the gangs.

Three other people are still being sought by police.

It is the fifth operation conducted by police this year. Authorities credit such undercover operations for a 40 percent reduction in gang crimes in the city.

Union-Tribune
Angelica Martinez: (619) 293-1317;

https://admin.signonsandiego.com/storie ... dex=173759

Now what? Lock them up for a few months in California jails to train harder for their criminal activity and then release them back on society?

Awsome :0p

How many of them are illegal aliens? They fail to mention that and ICE involvement. In that part of the country there are lots of illegals. Once in jail many jails now check immigration status and deport illegals once they served their sentence. We have that in Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County jails.

Originally Posted by swatchick

How many of them are illegal aliens? They fail to mention that and ICE involvement. In that part of the country there are lots of illegals. Once in jail many jails now check immigration status and deport illegals once they served their sentence. We have that in Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County jails.

This was a black gang.

I guess it depends on where you live and what countries illegals are living there. In South Florida just because a gang happens to be black does not mean that they are illegals from Hiati. In fact we have a task force with the U.S. Marshal Service, ICE, and sherrif's offices in Miami Dade, Broward County, among others who target those people. They rounded ap quite a few illegal haitian gang members North Miami and North Miami Beach. As the Carribean islands are close we also get them from Jamaica and the odd few from the Bahamas.

Authorities credit such undercover operations for a 40 percent reduction in gang crimes in the city.

Over and over we see that when we enforce our laws the crime goes down. When the three strikes law went in to effect in California the crime rate went down and the usual suspects said that the three strikes law did not effect that number. Yeah, and when you take guns away from citizens the crime goes up and they have figured out that connection too.

So, what we wanted all along is what we need. ENFORCEMENT OF OUR LAWS. Period.

The Skyline gang is an African-AMERICAN gang.

The Skyline gang is an African-AMERICAN gang.