Twin Cities-area gangs illegal immigrant gang members from Mexico and other countries have been swept up

Dozens of illegal immigrant gang members from Mexico and other countries have been swept up in the past two weeks by federal agents and Twin Cities-area police, officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Thursday.
Called Operation Community Shield, the ongoing effort netted 50 arrests, including 35 gang members and seven gang associates from 10 Twin Cities-area gangs. Of the 50 arrested, 38 are illegal immigrants, said ICE spokesman Tim Counts.Participating law-enforcement agencies also arrested 10 U.S. citizens and two permanent residents, also known as green-card holders, on various state and federal charges, including weapons possession, possessing illegal drugs and criminal traffic offenses. Twelve of those arrested have previous convictions, including assault, drug possession, criminal damage to property, burglary, disorderly conduct and drunken driving.
Of the illegal immigrants arrested, Counts said, 29 come from Mexico, six from Honduras, two from El Salvador and one from Ecuador.
Counts said most of the arrests were in Minneapolis and St. Paul. But police and agents also swept up gang members in Richfield, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, Maplewood, Columbia Heights and West St. Paul.Officials are moving to deport the illegal immigrants arrested, Counts said. But three suspects will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's office for prosecution -- two for re-entering the United States after previously being deported and one for possessing a controlled substance. It is a felony to re-enter the United States after going through