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For Immediate Release
March 30,
2007
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Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
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Over
100 Arrests in Effort to Disrupt Neighborhood Gangs and
their Criminal Activity
Washington,
D.C. - Today the FBI culminated a targeted, two-week nationwide
initiative involving federal, state and local law enforcement
to disrupt neighborhood gangs and their criminal activity.
This effort is directed to address the ongoing threat of
violent crime and drug trafficking across cites of all sizes
in the U.S. The result was a total of 108 federal arrests
and 47 state arrests across twelve FBI Field Offices, including
El Paso, Detroit, St. Louis, Houston, San Juan, San Antonio,
New Haven, Cleveland, Omaha, San Diego, Sacramento and Charlotte.
The majority of these individuals are charged with conspiracy
to distribute narcotics and various weapons violations.
"People
should not have to live in fear of gang members and the
violence they perpetrate," said Assistant Director
Chip Burrus, FBI Criminal Investigative Division. "We
will continue to work with our partners in federal, state
and local law enforcement to aggressively address this threat
through our Safe Streets Task Forces. This approach creates
a 'force multiplier' effect to investigate and eradicate
violent street gangs and their criminal activity. Our joint
efforts have helped to return some measure of safety and
security to our neighborhoods."
"Law
enforcement agencies at all levels of government are determined
to work together to combat the increasing problem of drug
trafficking and violent crime by street gangs," said
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Justice
Department's Criminal Division. "I'm proud of these
efforts by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies
to investigate and apprehend these defendants. Our prosecutors
will continue to assist through prosecution in this comprehensive,
national effort at reducing violent crime and making our
streets safer."
As of March 2007, the FBI operates over 160 Task Forces
in its 56 field offices, including 134 SSTFs focused on
violent gangs and over 30 SSTFs focused on violent crime.
These task forces are comprised of more than 2,300 local,
state, and federal investigators representing more than
500 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States.
Participating agencies benefit through the sharing of resources,
manpower, gang intelligence and information. In addition,
this allows for the prosecution of gangs and their membership
through federal prosecutions and for severe sentences and
penalties for the entire gang. It also enables the entire
criminal enterprise to be dismantled or disrupted, instead
of the prosecution of a few low level members.
These
investigative efforts were coordinated through the Safe
Streets and Gang Unit and included the close cooperation
and support of the FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF); U.S. Marshals Service; Odessa Police Department;
Ector County Sheriff's Office; Michigan State Police; Detroit
Police Department; St. Louis County Police Department; Galveston
Police Department; Police of Puerto Rico; Guayama Municipal
Police; Austin Police Department; Hartford Police Department;
Connecticut State Police; Meriden Police Department; Waterbury
Police Department; Mansfield Police Department; Richland
County Sheriff's Office; St. Clair Shores Police Department;
Nebraska State Police; Bellevue Police Department; San Diego
Police Department; Escondido Police Department; Orange County
District Attorney's Office; Yuba City Police Department
and Charlotte - Mecklenburg Police Department.
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