I keep hearing that hundreds of "gang members" have just been arrested.

[ContraBass Black]

Does anyone know what this is about?

[Wilms]

1. Chertoff at Work

Press Releases

ICE Arrests 375 Gang Members and Associates in Two-Week Enforcement Action

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: ICE Public Affairs, 202-514-2648
March 10, 2006

During a two-week enforcement action that culminated yesterday, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 375 gang members and associates in 23 states in a joint effort with law enforcement agencies nationwide.

The arrests are the latest under the auspices of “Operation Community Shield,” a comprehensive initiative launched by ICE roughly one year ago to disrupt and dismantle transnational, violent street gangs. Operation Community Shield represents the first time the federal government has used immigration and customs authorities in a combined, national campaign against criminal street gangs in the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced the results at a press conference today with ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers; Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Emilio Gonzalez; Assistant Director of Field Operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Michael Bouchard, First Assistant Chief of the Dallas Police Department David O’Neal Brown, and Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division Deborah Pierce.

In the past year, ICE has conducted several targeted enforcement actions under Operation Community Shield, including the latest one. In total, these efforts have resulted in the arrest of 2,388 members of 239 different gangs and the seizure of 117 firearms. Fifty-one of those arrested were gang leaders. Roughly 922 of those arrested were from the street gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Those arrested under Operation Community Shield are prosecuted criminally or removed from the United States through immigration proceedings. To date, 533 have been charged criminally, while 1,855 have been hit with administrative immigration charges.

In the latest enforcement action that began on Feb. 24, 2006, ICE teamed up with its law enforcement partners to arrest large numbers of gang members in Dallas (44), San Diego (41), Washington, D.C. (22), Miami (22), and Raleigh, N.C. (19). Gang members were also arrested in locations such as Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Des Moines, Iowa; and Springfield, Missouri. Those arrested included members of MS-13, Surenos, 18th Street Gang, Latin Kings, Bloods, Crips, Armenian Power, Street Thug Criminals, Brown Pride, Asian Dragon Family, Avenue Assassins, Spanish Gangster Disciples, Big Time Killers and Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos.

More than 260 of the 375 individuals arrested in the latest action have past criminal records, most of them violent. ICE agents arrested 73 of the individuals on new criminal charges ranging from drug and firearms violations to charges of re-entering the country after deportation. The rest have been accused of administrative immigration violations and placed into deportation proceedings. Some of those arrested include:

snip

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=5474

[ContraBass Black]

4. I hope they get trials.

Real trials.

[bobbieinok]

5. something ODD here.....2388 people arrested + only 117 guns?????

[Wilms]

8. That does seem surprising.

I generally think of violent criminals as being armed, as well as dangerous.

[peacebird]

10. 2388 people and 117 guns... Gang members? ...by whose definition?

How are we sure this is true and not just an anti-immigration round up?

Sorry - if they were all gang members the level of weapons should have been ten-fold higher....



I just don't trust my government anymore - how sad is that?

So - does a gold star on DU make me a "Gang" member?

[Richard Steele]

18. 2388 random DUers would have more than 117!

2338 random ANYONE in this country would have more than 117!
The AMISH have more guns than that! (They really do)

This Sounds like more of the typical trumped-up propaganda
we are used to seeing from these lying sacks of sh*t.

2 years from now, we'll find out that most of these
cases are just parole violations and expired visas,
and other piddling crap.
Just like 99% of the "ARAB TERRORISTS" they arrested after 9/11.

[Moody Bluz]

13. It depends on whether drugs were involved or not.

When drugs are being manufactured, store, transported or sold, a minimal numbers of guns are kept around. Being arrested on a drug charge and then having a gun found on the premises is an automatic "two point gun enhancement under federal statues." Depending on the amount of drugs this can mean a mandatory 60-120 months added on to the sentence.

Drug dealers know this and try not to keep too many guns around.

Also because of the amounts of money and drugs involved, and real gangs are about drugs and money, many dealers are uncomfortable with having too many people with guns around, preferring that only trusted lieutenants be the ones packing.

Mexican, Nicaraguan, Colombian and Salvadoran gangs are the worst ones about this. American street gangs are the ones that are more heavily armed.

[tridim]

6. One question.. Is DU considered a gang?

How about Code Pink?

[Roon]

7. I was in a queer gang once

got the tats and everything. We didn't do anything, just smoked pot and played mortal kombat.

[madrchsod]

11. fitzgerald has been taking apart several

powerful gangs in the last several years in the chicagoland area and he didn`t national attention...i guess homeland security is trying to justify the money . they will send them back across the border and they`ll be back in a couple of days...

the real cancer in the american society is the street gangs and aryan nations across america not some arab hold up in a cave somewhere or the one legged man..

[peacetalksforall]

12. 1. 73 of 375 arrested on new charges.

2. 260 of 375 arrested had 'past criminal records'. Does mean that they did their time or that they are wanted (on old charges)?

3. the "rest have been accused of administrative immigration violations"

Sounds like - it's off to one of those new ready-to-go empty and waiting prisons we've been reading about.

Think these people are too violent for these prison camps?

Think these people got to call a lawyer?

Think they will be recruited for torture prisons around the world?

Think you would put them all in the same prison?

Think they will get to go to court?

[shanti]

14. armenian power???

that's a new one on me? i'll have to ask my armenian DIL about it...

[Wilms]

17. You have me wondering what she'll say.

"AP" is a fairly notorious LA gang. I'm guessing they've been around 15 or 20 years. I think it's compromised largely of recent immigrants.

But 35 to 40 years ago (on the east coast, anyway) you might see a T-Shirt making a lite-hearted proclamation, "Armenian Power".

Things change. :shrug:

[goclark]

15. If they got them off the streets and stopped the killings

that would be wonderful!

But something tells me, its like the Deck of Cards.

Remember that shell game?

Didn't stop one damn thing.

[brainshrub]

2. Where?

[babylonsister]

3. Ah, one of the multiple uses for the new detention centers?

I read ICE and that's the first think that jumps into my brain. :think:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

9. They're recruiting for the new Brownshirt Brigade

By this time next week they'll all have badges and truncheons.

[librechik]

16. Patriot Act arrests?

they said it's going to be used for that sort of thing

right down the racist alley of the pukkkes, if true