Immigration sweep targets Valley gangs

[Robson]

Source: LA Times -sam.quinones

Immigration sweep targets Valley gangs
Immigration agents arrest 28 foreign nationals, the majority in the country illegally.
By Sam Quinones
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

October 6, 2007

In an ongoing crackdown, 28 foreign nationals suspected of having ties to street gangs in the San Fernando Valley were arrested by federal immigration agents Friday during early morning sweeps throughout Los Angeles County.

More than 200 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fanned out across the Valley, Palmdale and other areas of the county, raiding residences and arresting members of 15 street gangs, officials said.

Among them was Jorge Torres, 31, a reputed member of the Project Boys in Pacoima whose criminal record includes convictions for drug charges as well as battery on a police officer, officials said. Torres, who has been deported five times, has been indicted by the U.S. attorney's office for reentering the United States.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

"The people targeted in these operations are career criminals who often prey on members of the immigrant community," said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of ICE in Los Angeles. "We want to send a clear message to foreign national gang members that ICE intends to deal strongly with those who ignore our immigration laws and place our neighborhoods at risk."

Friday's sweep was part of the agency's ongoing crackdown on illegal immigrants with suspected gang affiliations in the Valley.

Of the 28 people arrested Friday, 21 were undocumented and seven had legal-residency status, which is now being revoked, Schoch said.

Those arrested were believed to be linked to gangs including the Canoga Park Alabama, San Fer, Barrio Van Nuys, Vineland Boys, Blythe Street and Project Boys.

Schoch said a squad of agents has been working the Valley since last year.

Los Angeles police have identified a hike in gang crime in the Valley and list several area gangs as some of the city's most violent.

The San Fernando Valley "is the size of Philadelphia," Schoch said. "From a workload standpoint, we needed to be up there."

In September, ICE agents arrested nine reputed gang members suspected of being in the country illegally.

snip


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/los_angeles_metro/la-me-immig6oct06,1,7327762.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true

[kestrel91316]

1. Well, 28 is a start. Now they need to get the other 250,000 of them.

And the Armenian and Persian and black and, yes, white troublemakers, too.

[Robson]

2. Gangs are a huge threat

I don't know why they haven't acted on this years ago. They are a huge threat to the community. They destroy private property. They will kill or go after anyone that files a complaint against them or goes to the police. They are often identifiable via tatoos. There is no bigger threat to the country. They turn cities into 3rd world countries. If they are illegals or non-citizens they should be deported immediately.

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. I'm from Chicago

currently living near LA, so I am strongly inclined to agree. Gangs are very bad news. They can single-handedly sink a community's prospects.

[silverojo]

4. Gangs are America's domestic terrorists

It's bad enough we have so many gangs here in America, without MS-13 moving in from south of the border (Central America). Google MS-13, and you'll realize why this gang is THE biggest threat today, in terms of gang violence.

IMHO, the National Guard should've been deployed years ago to fight gangs--any race, from any nation.

[unlawflcombatnt]

5. Thanks for posting this

This has gotten completely out-of-control.

[Javaman]

6. but but but wasn't pickles supposed to be working with the gangs???

but I guess her short attention span theater act just didn't keep her interested long enough.