The Lincoln Tribune - News

The Lincoln Tribune - News: "National News : Homeland Security Operations Net Over 400 Criminal Aliens
Posted by JimKouri on 2005/7/2 13:05:41
by Jim Kouri, CPP

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested eight known gang members in four cities and removed nine others in recent days. These arrests are the latest under Operation Community Shield, a national initiative aimed at disrupting and dismantling violent gangs of illegal immigrants. These arrests bring the total to more than 400 since March 2005.

Arrests occurred in San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta and Detroit. The removals occurred from the Buffalo, NY Federal Detention Facility. All eight of the individuals arrested have been charged with being illegally present in the United States and are being detained pending their immigration court hearings.

The eight gang members deported from Buffalo were arrested around the country and staged at the facility as ICE completed the repatriation process. Suspected criminal activity includes manslaughter, criminal weapons possession, robbery, assault and attempted robbery.

William Cleary, Buffalo Detention and Deportation Field Office Director, said that the nine individuals removed were gang members from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. They belonged to organized crime organizations such as MS-13, the 'Mexican Boys' of the La Gran Familia, the 'Big Kings'of SUR-13, 'Esquadron,' La Gran Raza,' and 'Trinitarios.'

In Oakland, California, feds nabbed Antonio Garcia-Becerra, a Mexican national and Southside Locos 13 gang member. Garcia was previously deported from the United States and reentered in violation of federal law. He has a criminal history that includes a weapons violation.