A sweep in six cities across the country has netted 103 arrests of members of the notoriously vicious
Mara Salvatrucha gang. Also known as MS-13 the gang is reported to have
met with al-Qaeda back in September and members of the group have been
caught with al-Qaeda suspects crossing the Mexican border. Most recently was the arrest of one of the leaders of the gang and
his call from federal prison for members of the group to attack volunteers of the
Minuteman Project, a group of over 900 civilians who plan to patrol the Arizona-Mexican border starting in April.
The gang's involved in smuggling of drugs, weapons and people across the southern border. They have also been found to be involved in many brutal crimes throughout the US including at least seven killings in Virginia and a machete attack -- their favorite weapon of choice for attacks -- on a 16-year-old in Alexandria that severely mutilated his hands. Their leader is also tied to a bus attack in Honduras that killed 6 children and 22 adults.
A nationwide task force organized by the FBI has been formed specifically targeting the gang. The latest sweep has been given the name Operation Community Shield.
Los Angeles Times
With new cells in 33 states and up to 50,000 members in the U.S. and Latin America, the gang had become a law enforcement priority in Washington, as well as in El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.
Underscoring the gang's national reach, more than half of the arrests announced Monday came in the New York, Washington and Baltimore areas. In Los Angeles, authorities arrested 17 reputed MS 13 members, including a former soldier in the Salvadoran military described as a founding member of the gang's Hollywood branch.
...
Kozak acknowledged that deported MS 13 members have returned to the U.S. to rejoin the gang. "That historically has been a problem," he said. "It's not something we can change overnight…. One of the challenges is to tighten up the border and make it more difficult for them to return."
...
In Los Angeles, the roundup by Homeland Security agents netted reputed gang members who were between 20 and 40 years old and had arrest records, from narcotics and firearm violations to robbery and attempted murder, according to federal authorities. Many of those arrested had reentered the country illegally after being deported and could face prison time before being deported again.
In the coming months, authorities say, they expect hundreds of additional arrests of MS 13 members, the majority of whom are in the country illegally.
I have an idea, let's give them all guest-worker visa's because we all know that illegals are just coming here to work. Deporting a member of a gang that can just smuggle them back in is just stupidity. You have to secure the borders.
For more on Mara Salvatrucha see the Diggers Realm Mara Salvatruchas Archive
Other Commentary:
Michelle Malkin
"stupidity"
Speaking of same, you don't comment on what might be an even more obvious -- not to mention egregious -- ongoing practice of it:
"In Los Angeles,...who...had arrest records... Many of those arrested had reentered the country illegally..."
So not all, just "many"? And how many of those with records who were arrested had never been deported? Some? If so, this makes me wonder how many of them had contact with LAPD and due to Special Order 40 or similar warped thinking were never turned over to INS/HS for deportation. I still think a class action lawsuit on behalf of people harmed by released illegals has got to have some merit.
"visa's"
You want the simple plural here -- visas.
Posted by: x on March 15, 2005 06:44 AM
Me, my self has been friends with the ms for over 4 years, an have known about them for about 10 years. Origanly the gang was started beacause of prejudice over hispanic heritage, but over the years, members themselfs dont even know why its there, or why they had even joined in the first place. Most of thier replys when i ask why did you join? an why is the mara still going on? the simply just say, for respect or for popularity, an their second reply is usally "I dont know". It isnt a good thing for the goverment to be running up on them like that, because then they are just gonna jump more people in so the gang will never die, but for them to catch every single ms leader and member will just be simply impossible, for in the county that i live in there are over 3,000 ms living here. Even if they do, someone will just come along an restart it all over againe, the problem will continue over and over againe in a simple cycle. What we do need to do is tighten up the border, for that is how most of the ms leader from el salvador, fleeing to the united states, trying to resist persecution or death in their homeland come through. Also you need to not teach the young about the gangs, that will just make them curious, you need to make them fear it, tell them to think about there lives an their future, if it wasnt for my friends, i my self would of been in the mara salvatrucha. From my point of view though is "If you dont mess with them, then they dont mess with you".
Posted by: Locitoz on July 4, 2005 12:30 AM
