Operation Community Shield

Targeting Violent Transnational Street Gangs

Overview

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recognizes that violent transnational criminal street gangs represent a threat to public safety in neighborhoods across the United States.

In 2005, under the auspices of the national gang enforcement initiative Operation Community Shield (OCS), ICE established itself as the lead federal agency in the investigation of transnational criminal street gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

Under Operation Community Shield, ICE:

• Partners with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, in the United States and abroad, to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach to conducting criminal investigations and other law enforcement operations against gangs.
• Identifies violent street gangs and develops intelligence on their membership, associates, criminal activities and international movements.
• Deters, disrupts and dismantles gang operations by tracing and seizing cash, weapons and other assets derived from criminal activities.
• Seeks prosecution and/or removal of alien gang members from the United States.
• Works closely with our attaché offices worldwide and foreign law enforcement counterparts in gathering intelligence, sharing information and conducting coordinated enforcement operations.

ICE’s unique dual federal authorities, both criminal and administrative, have made the agency a leader in criminal investigations targeting transnational street gangs, prison gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs that pose a threat to the public safety and national security of the United States.

Results

Since the launch of OCS, ICE and its partners have arrested more than 15,000 gang members and associates, representing over 1,000 different gangs.

These apprehensions include over 6,000 criminal arrests and nearly 9,000 administrative immigration arrests. Of these, 190 arrests were of gang leaders, and nearly 6,000 of the arrested suspects had violent criminal histories. Through this initiative, ICE has also seized and removed from the streets over 876 firearms.

Major Enforcement Actions:

Some of the major Operation Community Shield enforcement actions in 2009 included the following:

September 30, 2009 (Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden and St. George, Utah): A total of 76 gang members and gang associates across the state, including many with serious criminal histories, were arrested in an OCS operation. Among those charged federally is a 34-year-old Honduran national with ties to the Surenos 13 street gang who has been previously deported at least five times. Those arrested during this operation were from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, Peru, Cuba and Vietnam.

September 22, 2009 (Los Angeles): Forty-five members and associates of the Avenues street gang in northeast Los Angeles who were named in a wide-ranging federal racketeering indictment that alleges a host of crimes—including the August 2008 murder of Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputy Juan Escalante—were arrested on federal criminal charges. Additionally, five people were arrested on state criminal charges and parole violations and agents seized 33 firearms.

September 11, 2009 (Birmingham, Ala.): Twenty-three individuals with ties to the violent street gangs Surenos-13, La Quemada, MS-13, Brown Pride 13, Southside Locotes, Lejion Negra and Judas 13 face deportation after a four-day gang enforcement operation.

August 14, 2009 (Greenville, S.C.): Nine individuals with ties to the violent Sur-13 and Vatos Locos street gangs face deportation following a day-long OCS enforcement operation.

August 7, 2009 (Las Vegas and Mesquite, Nev.): A total of 29 gang members and gang associates were taken into custody following a three-day multi-agency gang enforcement operation. Most of the individuals arrested have criminal histories, including prior convictions for drug trafficking, weapons possession, kidnapping with a deadly weapon, home invasion, battery with a deadly weapon, coercing children with intent to engage in sexual conduct, grand larceny and theft. Those arrested were from El Salvador, Afghanistan, Mexico and the Bahamas.

July 31, 2009 (Miami): More than 50 members and associates of violent street gangs in South Florida were arrested in a two-day gang enforcement operation. ICE's Miami Violent Gang Task Force, along with gang detectives from various local law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation into a number of criminal street gangs in the South Florida area. Subsequently, in January 2008, as a result of the increase in violent crime and gang activity in the City of North Miami Beach, culminating in the shooting death by gang members of City of Miami Police Detective James Walker, ICE joined forces with local law enforcement agencies to target street gang members trafficking narcotics and operating in North Miami Beach. As a result, 36 defendants were indicted on a myriad of federal and state violations, ranging from robbery and burglary to possession and distribution of marijuana and crack cocaine, and the illegal possession of weapons.

July 23, 2009 (Waukesha, Wis.): A total of 11 gang members and associates were arrested during an operation targeting illegal aliens with ties to violent street gangs. All but one are known members of the following street gangs: La Raza, Vatos Locos, Latin Kings, HomeBoyz and the 38th Street Gang. All have prior criminal histories including illegally carrying a concealed weapon, aggravated battery, burglary, drug possession, theft and driving under the influence.

July 23, 2009 (Chicago, Addison, Bensenville, Blue Island, Carpentersville and Hanover Park, Ill.): Nineteen people were arrested during a two-day local gang enforcement operation targeting illegal aliens with ties to violent street gangs in the Chicago area. All have criminal histories. Some of their convictions and arrests include unlawfully using a weapon, criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery, aggravated discharge of a firearm, drug possession, theft, and mob action. Additionally, ICE agents also assisted local law enforcement with seizing marijuana plants discovered growing at a gang member's residence.

June 30, 2009 (Houston, Beaumont and Corpus Christi, Texas): A total of 116 gang members and associates were arrested following a five-day gang enforcement operation. The gang members taken into custody during the enforcement action are linked to at least 14 street gangs, including MS-13, Surenos Trece, Aryan Brotherhood, Latin Kings, La Raza13, Black Disciples, Houstone, Tango Blast, Bloods and Crips. Three of those arrested possessed firearms at the time of their arrest, which included an assault rifle, a shotgun and a handgun.

June 30, 2009 (Dallas, Arlington, Carrollton, Fort Worth, Irving, Lewisville and Plano, Texas): A total of 81 transnational gang members and associates representing more than 20 gang organizations were arrested during a six-day operation that took place throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex targeting foreign-born violent gang members. More than half of those arrested had outstanding local, state or federal warrants issued on them. Those arrested during the operation were from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Laos. Twenty-eight U.S. citizens were also arrested.

June 26, 2009 (San Diego, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido and Poway, Calif.): Sixty-five gang members, associates and criminal aliens were taken into custody following a week-long multi-agency gang enforcement operation. Agents arrested 39 violent street gang members and gang associates linked to 19 local street gangs operating in North County and San Diego and arrested one gang member from a Los Angeles-based street gang.

June 24, 2009 (Newark, N.J.): Forty-six gang members and associates were arrested as a result of a statewide public safety initiative. Each of those arrested were targeted for their membership, participation or association with violent street gangs, including MS-13, Surenos 13, DDP, Trinitarios, Gran Familia Mexicana, Los Pitufos and Bloods. Those arrested during this gang enforcement operation are from El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Philippines, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

April 17, 2009 (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): A total of nine foreign-born gang members and associates and two U.S. citizens with ties to local violent street gangs were arrested following an OCS investigation. The operation targeted members and associates of the Latin Kings, 18th Street, and Sur 13. Of those arrested, five are nationals of Honduras, four are from Mexico and two are U.S. citizens.

March 19, 2009: (Tampa, Fla.): A seven-month OCS investigation resulted in the criminal arrests of more than 70 members and associates of more than a dozen criminal street gangs. Active investigations yielded 240 felony drug and property related charges. Task force members also seized two kilograms of cocaine, 156 pounds of marijuana, and 582 grams of crystal methamphetamine, eight firearms and approximately $60,000 worth of cash and vehicles.

February 19, 2009 (Charlotte, N.C.): Ten foreign-born gang members with ties to local violent street gangs were arrested during a local gang enforcement operation that targeted foreign-born members and associates of MS-13, Surenos, Brown Pride, SUR-13 and Latin King street gangs.

Intelligence Gathering and Sharing

Under Operation Community Shield, ICE has received thousands of names of known and suspected gang members from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as from foreign governments. This information is routinely compared with ICE's immigration and customs databases to identify and prioritize gang suspects who may be subject to ICE's legal jurisdiction.

ICE's Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) in Vermont plays a central role in this effort by running data on gang suspects provided by other law enforcement agencies against its immigration databases to determine whether these individuals are subject to ICE's federal immigration authorities. This data is then shared with ICE field offices and law enforcement partners to compile target lists.