{"id":2802,"date":"2014-05-01T12:39:16","date_gmt":"2014-05-01T19:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=2802"},"modified":"2014-05-13T21:03:42","modified_gmt":"2014-05-14T04:03:42","slug":"600-gang-members-arrested-179-cities-federal-agents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=2802","title":{"rendered":"More Than 600 Gang Members Arrested in 179 Cities by Federal Agents"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Homeland<\/a>WASHINGTON<\/strong> \u2014 More than 600 gang members and associates from 145 different gangs were arrested in 179 cities across the U.S. during Project Southbound, a month-long operation executed by \u00a0federal agents, authorities \u00a0announced today.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations \u00a0targeted gangs affiliated with the Sure\u00f1os or southerners gang members, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cProject Southbound is the largest-ever ICE operation targeting the Sure\u00f1os gang,\u201d said ICE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Thomas S. Winkowski. \u201cThis gang now has more than 30,000 members in the United States and its numbers are growing. Targeting transnational gangs like the Sure\u00f1os is a top priority for ICE and we will continue to disrupt and dismantle the violence and criminal activities that they inflict upon our neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

Homeland Security special agents also seized 54 firearms, 13.36 pounds of methamphetamine, 82.76 pounds of marijuana, 3.075 pounds of cocaine, 1.44 pounds of heroin, more than $166,000 in U.S currency and 10 vehicles during Project Southbound, officials said.<\/p>\n

Federal agents claim that the Sure\u00f1os, also known as Sur 13, is a transnational criminal street gang that originated in Southern California with hundreds of cliques around the United States.\u00a0The Sure\u00f1os and their affiliates pay tribute to the Mexican Mafia and the number \u201c13\u201d is their symbol signifying \u201cM\u201d in the alphabet for Mexican Mafia.<\/p>\n

Membership and cliques associated with the Sure\u00f1os are expanding faster than any other national-level gang in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s National Gang Intelligence Center\u2019s 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment.<\/p>\n

Sure\u00f1os gang members are involved in a myriad of criminal activity, including murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution and other crimes with a nexus to the border, officials said.<\/p>\n

Through Project Southbound, which ran March 12 to April 13, HSI special agents worked with 150 federal, state and local law enforcement partners to apprehend individuals from various gangs affiliated with the Sure\u00f1os.<\/p>\n

More than 73 percent of those arrested during this Homeland Security National Gang Unit-led operation were members or associates of the Sure\u00f1os.<\/p>\n

In addition to the 638 gang members and associates, Homeland Security agents also arrested \u2013 or assisted in the arrest of \u2013 119 other individuals on federal and\/or state criminal violations and administrative immigration violations, for a total of 757 arrests.<\/p>\n

Of the 638 gang members or associates arrested: 525 were charged with criminal offenses; 113 were arrested administratively for immigration violations; 414 had violent criminal histories, including seven individuals wanted for murder and five wanted for rape or sexual assault; and 256 were foreign nationals.<\/p>\n

Among the Sure\u00f1os gang members or associates arrested during Project Southbound were:<\/p>\n