ICE-led local enforcement operation arrests 121 gang members and associates

These latest arrests under Operation Community Shield represent members of 27 local street gangs

DALLAS — Federal agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office here, in partnership with other federal and local law enforcement agencies, arrested 121 violent street gang members during a seven-day local enforcement action that ended early Sunday morning.

These are the latest arrests under an ICE program called “Operation Community Shield,” a comprehensive ongoing national initiative launched in February 2005 to disrupt and dismantle violent street gangs in the United States. Operation Community Shield takes advantage of ICE’s immigration and customs authorities in a combined, national campaign against street gang members, many of whom are aliens and are eligible for deportation.

Nationally, these efforts have resulted in the arrest of more than 4,500 members of 532 different gangs. Those arrested under Operation Community Shield are either prosecuted criminally or removed from the country through immigration proceedings.

Those arrested during this latest Operation Community Shield action include members of the following 27 local street gangs: 18th St., 28th St., Asian Boyz, Brown Pride, Diamond Hill, Eastside Homeboys, Eastside Locos, FTH, Fort Worth 28 Pride, How High Crew, Junior Homeboyz, Latin Kings, Love Field Players, Mexican Klan Locos, Mexican Mafia, MS-13, Neighborhood Crips, Northside Friends, Northside Locos, Puro Loco Mexicanos, Puro Tango Blast, Riverside 13, Sureno 13, True Bud Smokers, Valgos 18, Varrio Northside and Westside 12.