Your tax dollars at work...




Feds Stage Major Crackdown On Notorious MS-13 Gang

UPDATED: 7:34 am PDT October 24, 2008


SAN FRANCISCO -- Federal prosecutors unsealed a 52-count indictment Thursday, charging 29 alleged members and associates of the notorious MS-13 gang with murder, attempted murder, alleged drug and firearms trafficking, robbery, assault and other violent crimes.

Arrests were made in San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, Alameda, South San Francisco, San Bruno and Reno, Nev., according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The indictment of the 29 suspected members or associates of the gang was unsealed by U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello, who discussed "Operation Devil Horns" -- a reference to the MS-13 gang sign -- at a news conference in San Francisco.

While some of those indicted were arrested during the ICE raids, others were already in prison on other charges, according to ICE.

Marcy Forman, ICE's national office of investigations director, said the charges represented the "largest criminal indictment of MS-13 gang members in U.S. history."

MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, originated in El Salvador and Southern California, and has members throughout the Bay Area in the thousands, according to Russionello. He called the group "one of the most vicious, dangerous organized crime gangs" in the country, and said its members engaged in "indiscriminate violence" against innocent victims as well as other gangs and its own members.

Russionello said the arrests, which included alleged leaders of the gang, would have a significant impact, but represented a "continuing struggle" against the group's spread.

"With each victory that we achieve, it makes it more difficult for them to replenish," he said.

"They're not all going to be leaving town tomorrow," Russionello said, "but they may now be distrustful of their own members."

The operation, which began in 2005, included undercover ICE agents monitoring the gang's illegal activities.

The indictment charged 22 alleged gang members with offenses in the aid of racketeering that included murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, drug trafficking and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles. The suspects were alleged to be MS-13 members based in San Francisco's Mission District and the city of Richmond.

Three of those charged were linked to murders in San Francisco on July 11 and July 31 of this year.

On July 11, 31-year-old Armando Estrada, of Rodeo, was fatally shot in broad daylight at 20th and Mission streets, according to San Francisco police. That intersection is considered the territory of MS-13's "20th Street" clique.

Guillermo Herrera, aka "Shorty" or "Sparky," was named in the federal indictment for the July 11 murder.

On July 31, 14-year-old Ivan Miranda, of San Francisco, was stabbed to death during a confrontation with four other boys in the city's Excelsior District, according to police.

Walter Chinchilla-Linar, aka "Demonio," and Cesar Alvarado, aka "Momia," were named in the indictment for robbery and murder in connection with the July 31 attack.

Russionello said sentences for those convicted under federal racketeering charges run from 10 years in federal prison to life without parole. Those released after their sentences would then be deported.

Six other men and one woman were charged with non-racketeering offenses that also included drug and firearms trafficking, and attempting to export stolen vehicles.

Russionello called the effort "one more steady step in the process of taking back our communities."

"We have to be able to provide some alternatives to young people," he said.

Residents, community groups and immigration rights attorneys have expressed dismay, however, at the ICE raids.

Russionello acknowledged Wednesday's raids were "aggressive operations" but was unapologetic.

He said authorities pursuing criminal suspects "may not be in the most sensitive or compassionate mode."

"Yes, doors will be knocked down," he said. "Yes, guns will be drawn."

"But wherever possible, these officers ... are sensitive to the considerations of innocent persons," said Russionello.

However, if while serving warrants, immigration authorities suspect others there to be in the country illegally, they will also be detained and subject to deportation proceedings, according to ICE.

Yes, they are a cancer that is spreading throughout California.

Hooray for ICE raids.

This is why we need a secure border with Me-hee-co.

I'm talking about land mines, razor wire as far as the eye can see, and troops on the border with SHOOT TO KILL ORDERS.

You come into this country illegally, you are an INVADING FORCE and it doesn't matter if you're not wearing a uniform. We wouldn't have this problem with MS-13 to begin with if our government was doing its damn job in the first place. Elect me as the President and I can just about guarantee you, illegal immigration will fall to ZERO within five days. Even the filthiest slum in Mexico would be heaven on earth compared to what would happen to you if you try to rape the USA.

Do you think the boys in MS-13 would let some "gringo" outsider come waltzing into their clubhouse and steal their stuff?

Why should we - a civilized nation - allow THEM to do the same to us?

Sometimes you need to be a hardass about things and this is truly one of them. This country will not survive unless we do what's needed.

In this situation MS-13 is actually more honorable than the United States Government. At least gangsters fight back when you attack them. At least they stand up for themselves. We're just bending over and letting them have their way! There's NOTHING honorable about that. They only understand the language of force, fine. Let's speak to them in their language. Wake up, Washington! Actually, it's no use. Washington is in a coma.

You know, if our own government isn't going to do the job with our border, they ought to just let someone who cares about it take over the job for them. Like the Minutemen. What we really need is our own version of the Rhodesian Grey's Scouts. A horse-mounted fighting cavalry that specialized in anti-terrorist operations (read - hunting down and killing them wherever they are.) MS-13 would be running back to Mexico like scared little schoolgirls if they had something like that waiting for them on our side of the border.



I'm serious. A volunteer unit needs to get together and do exactly for America what the Grey's Scouts did for Rhodesia.

Wake up, Washington! Actually, it's no use. Washington is in a coma.
 

This just in. Washington is now brain-dead and will be declared so, in January.