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.

ICE arrests 274 criminals, fugitives, immigration violators in Dallas / Fort Worth area

Five-day operation targeting fugitive criminals nets 99 aliens with criminal convictions

DALLAS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested 274 illegal aliens, criminals and immigration fugitives during a five-day enforcement operation here. Assisting ICE during this operation were officers from Dallas Constable and the following local police departments: Dallas, Irving, Fort Worth, Farmers Branch, Carrolton, Arlington and Blue Mound.

This localized, targeted enforcement initiative, which began Monday and concluded today, is part of an ongoing nationwide initiative focused on arresting criminal aliens. During this operation, ICE officers arrested 274 illegal aliens, including 99 with criminal convictions. Among those arrested were 233 men and 28 women. Of the 274 aliens arrested, 137 have already been returned to Mexico.

“The primary focus of this operation was to target, arrest and deport criminal aliens,” said Nuria T. Prendes, field office director for the ICE Office of Detention and Removal Operations in Dallas. “These operations are a critical element in removing threats to public safety. At the same time, these operations help protect the integrity of the nation’s legal immigration system.” Prendes heads an area that includes north Texas and the state of Oklahoma.

Operation Streamline Nets 1,200-Plus Prosecutions in Arizona

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Yuma, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol’s Yuma, Ariz. sector recently expanded Operation Streamline, which has resulted in the prosecution of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants since the operation began in December 2006.

Modeled after the highly successful operation that began in the Border Patrol’s Del Rio, Texas, sector in December 2005, the operation targets illegal immigrants apprehended in specific enforcement zones for immediate prosecution for illegal entry. Violators face punishment of up to 180 days in jail. Additionally, deportation procedures are initiated to formally remove the individual once they complete their jail sentence.

Several Mexican nationals armed with slingshots fired small rocks at CBP

Several Mexican nationals armed with slingshots fired small rocks at U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who were patrolling in San Luis, Ariz., Tuesday.

The agents, who were from the Yuma sector, were working about three miles east of the San Luis port of entry when the assailants began shooting rocks at the agents from the Mexican side of the international border.

Able to stay out of the slingshotters' range, agents stayed in visual contact with their assailants and contacted Mexican authorities.

Once on scene, Mexican authorities dispersed the group but made no apprehensions. None of the agents or their vehicles sustained any damage.

From Oct. 1 through June 30, agents have faced a 43 percent increase in violence, with 174 reported incidents compared to 122 incidents during the same period last year.

Baby born at Andrade Port of Entry

BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER

July 24, 2007 - 6:10PM

Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection had their hands full Monday morning with a baby who couldn't wait to get into the country. According to CBP public affairs officer Vince Bond, at about 10:40 a.m. a woman gave birth to a baby girl while at the port of entry in Andrade, Calif.

"I was told when the child left the port, she was pink and very verbal," Bond said. "This isn't a common event, but it does happen."

Bond said just three minutes before the baby's birth, a vehicle with Arizona plates entered the port from Mexico and was immediately sent to the port's secondary inspection area due to a medical emergency.

Border agents assaulted Sunday

July 23, 2007 - 12:38PM

Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection were assaulted by people throwing rocks Sunday during the arrest of two illegal immigrants near the U.S.-Mexico border in San Luis, Ariz.

The rocks failed to strike an agent, but one did shatter the window of a marked Border Patrol vehicle, according to Albert Bosco, public affairs specialist with CBP.

The federal organization reported Monday that its agents working in the Yuma sector have experienced a 43 percent increase in assaults between Oct. 1, 2006, and June 30. A total of 122 incidents were reported during the same period of last fiscal year, compared to this fiscal year's total of 174.

The rocking-throwing incident happened around noon Sunday after agents apprehended two people who had illegally entered the U.S. While agents were taking those people into custody, individuals on the Mexico side of the international boundary fence began throwing rocks toward the agents.

MS-13 gang seeks to unite nationwide

July 25, 2007

By Sara A. Carter - The international street gang MS-13 is unifying its violent members across the U.S., including the D.C. area, attempting to strengthen its criminal operation by creating a single organization.

"Traditionally, the gang consisted of loosely affiliated groups known as cliques; however, law enforcement officials have reported increased coordination of criminal activity among Mara Salvatrucha cliques in the Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York metropolitan areas," states a confidential letter sent out earlier this month from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Illinois.

"MS-13 is attempting to become a unified criminal enterprise operating under one leadership."

The Washington Times has obtained a copy of the letter and an Army intelligence presentation on the growth of MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha.

Federal law-enforcement agents say the gang is adopting tactics used by major Mexican and Colombian drug-trafficking groups and has become a gun-for-hire for many major Central and South American drug-trafficking cartels.