Ten foreign-born gang members with ties to local violent street gangs were arrested Charlotte, NC, Wednesday following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement led operation, according to reports obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police's Liaison Committee.The operation, dubbed Community Shield, was a multi-agency effort spearheaded by ICE. Among the participating agencies were the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD); the United States Marshals Service and the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety's Alcohol Law unit (NC-ALE).The operation targeted foreign-born members and associates of MS-13, Surenos, Brown Pride, SUR-13 and Latin King street gangs. Those arrested were illegally present in the United States and are now in ICE custody; however, four of them, although administratively arrested, were referred to the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina for possible criminal prosecution due to criminal offenses that include possession of marijuana, re-entering the United States after deportation, and possession of a firearm."We will continue teaming with our law enforcement partners to target those terrorizing our communities," said Joan Nash-Scavazzon, acting assistant special agent in charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Charlotte."Through these partnerships, we will use all of our combined law enforcement tools to thwart the criminal efforts of street gangs."

Transnational gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout the country. It is estimated that there are over 900 different criminal gangs in the United States. These gangs no longer own turf in just the inner city but have spread their criminal networks throughout suburban and rural communities.

These transnational street gangs have a significant number of foreign-born members and are frequently involved in human and contraband smuggling, immigration violations and other crimes. Like any street gang, these transnational gangs also have a propensity toward violence. Their members commit a myriad crimes including robbery, extortion, assault, rape and murder.Operation Community Shield is an ongoing national initiative in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the significant public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs. Partnerships with local law enforcement agencies are essential to the success of the initiative, and they help further ensure officer safety during the operations.Since ICE began Operation Community Shield in February 2005, more than 11,800 gang members belonging to more than 700 different gangs have been arrested nationwide.

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ICE officials say the operation targeted members and associates of the MS-13, Surenos, Brown Pride, SUR-13 and Latin King street gangs. Those arrested were in the United States illegally, authorities say, and they are in federal custody. But authorities say four suspects were referred to the U.S. Attorney's office for possible additional charges, including possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm, and re-entering the United States after deportation.Federal agents have arrested 10 foreign-born gang members with ties to Charlotte-area street gangs, according to federal officials.The arrests took place Wednesday in the Charlotte area, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE agents were supported by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, North Carolina's Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agency, the N.C. Department of Crime Control, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
"We will continue teaming with our law enforcement partners to target those terrorizing our communities," said Joan Nash-Scavazzon, acting assistant special agent in charge of ICE's operations in the Charlotte area.

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Arrested by ICE agents earlier this week was Valentin Sierra-Martinez, a 20-year-old "Norteño-14" gang member. Arrested July 14 in Elgin, Ill., Sierra-Martinez is an illegal alien from Mexico with prior criminal convictions for residential burglary, domestic battery, possessing drug paraphernalia, and knowingly damaging property. He remains in ICE custody pending deportation to Mexico.
ICE agents also arrested 23-year-old Mauricio Vega-Cruz July 14 in West Chicago. Vega-Cruz, a self-admitted member of the 18th Street gang, was twice deported to Mexico in 2007 and illegally re-entered the U.S. He has criminal convictions in Arizona for misconduct involving weapons and drug paraphernalia, as well as arrests for drugs, aggravated assault, and discharging a firearm in city limits. Vega-Cruz remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.
Of the 49 men arrested, 42 had criminal histories; some of their convictions and arrests include: drunken driving, drug possession, aggravated battery, burglary, theft, and domestic battery.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents here, in close partnership with local law enforcement officers, made 49 arrests in a four-day operation targeting illegal aliens with ties to violent street gangs in Chicago's northern and northwest suburbs this week. This is the latest joint local action of an ongoing national ICE effort to target foreign-born gang members.These arrests were made under an ongoing national ICE initiative called "Operation Community Shield," in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the significant public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs. Partnerships with local law enforcement agencies are essential to the success of the initiative, and they help further ensure officer safety during the operations.
The multi-agency operation, which began Sunday night and ended Wednesday night, targeted foreign-born gang members and associates in the northern and northwest suburbs. Of the 49 arrested, 48 are Mexican nationals; one is from Guatemala. All are illegal aliens with the exception of one U.S. permanent resident whose criminal convictions make him eligible for deportation.Forty seven of those arrested are members or associates of the following gangs: Brown Pride, Imperial Gangsters, Insane Deuces, Latin Kings, Norteños-14, Sureños-13, and the 18th Street Gang. Two of those arrested had no known gang affiliations but are deportable because they are in the U.S. illegally.Nine of those arrested had been previously deported. It is a felony to re-enter the United States after being formally deported punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison."Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout this area," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Chicago. "We will not tolerate violent gang activity in our communities, and will use all of our law enforcement tools to thwart criminal efforts of street gangs. Operation Community Shield shows how ICE works with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal organizations and help protect our communities."ICE was assisted in the operation by the following local agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the sheriffs' departments of Cook, Boone, DuPage and Winnebago Counties; and the police departments of Addison, Belvidere, Bensenville, Elgin, Franklin Park, Harvard, Mt. Prospect, West Chicago, Wheeling and Woodstock.Since ICE began Operation Community Shield in February 2005, more than 8,900 gang members belonging to more than 700 different gangs have been arrested nationwide. More information on Operation Community Shield is available at: http://www.ice.gov .

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