https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/22-ms-13-members-and-associates-charged-federally-ice-s-ms-13-targeted-operation-raging-bull
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 16, 2017
22 MS-13 Members and Associates Charged Federally in ICE’s MS-13 Targeted ‘Operation Raging Bull’ Which Netted a Total of 267 Arrests
53 arrested in El Salvador, 214 arrested across the United States
U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials today announced the results of stepped up efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the department to target and dismantle MS-13 – culminating in the arrest of 267 in the United States and overseas.
“Operation Raging Bull” was led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with support from federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners, and was conducted in support of the Department of Justice’s renewed prioritization of the violent transnational gang.
(snip)
The operation was conducted in two phases, targeting dangerous gang members and their global financial networks. The first phase of the operation which was announced previously, netted 53 arrests in El Salvador at the conclusion of an 18-month investigation in September. The second phase was conducted across the United States from Oct. 8 to Nov. 11, and concluded with 214 MS-13 arrests nationwide.
(snip)
Of the total 214 arrests made in the United States, 93 were arrested on federal and/or state criminal charges including murder, aggravated robbery, Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) offenses, Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) offenses, narcotics trafficking, narcotics possession, firearms offenses, domestic violence, assault, forgery, DUI and illegal entry/reentry. The remaining 121 were arrested on administrative immigration violations.
Sixteen of the 214 arrested were U.S. citizens and 198 were foreign nationals, of which only five had legal status to be in the United States. Foreign nationals arrested were from El Salvador (135), Honduras (29), Mexico (17), Guatemala (12), Ecuador (4) and Costa Rica (1). Sixty-four individuals had illegally crossed the border as unaccompanied alien children; most are now adults.
Examples of the federal prosecutions during this operation include:
•In Baltimore, Maryland, the arrest and indictment of four MS-13 members on charges that include violent crimes in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering;
•In Greenbelt, Maryland, the arrest and indictment of eight MS-13 members on charges that include conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion; and
•MS-13 members and associates were arrested in East Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts; Falfurrias, Hidalgo and Laredo, Texas; Nogales, Tucson and Yuma, Arizona; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Annapolis, Baltimore, Clinton, Beltsville, Upper Marlboro, Centreville and Jessup, Maryland; and San Jose, California and charged with various federal offenses including illegal alien in possession of a firearm and illegal re-entry after deportation.
(snip)
= new reply since forum marked as read
