ICE Arrests More than 200 in Crackdown on MS-13 Gang

Reuters recently reported that immigration officials across the country have arrested more 200 individuals who are alleged to be members and associates of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13. The crackdown was the second phase of Operation Raging Bull, which started with 53 arrests in El Salvador. MS-13, a notorious cross-border criminal organization, originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s for the purposes of protecting immigrants fleeing civil war in El Salvador, and is reported to have more than 10,000 members in 40 states. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has vowed to continue the crackdown until all members and associates have been arrested. Ninety-three of the most recent arrests were charged with federal or state offenses, with the remainder being arrested on immigration violations. The arrests included 16 American citizens and 198 foreign nationals, with five being legal residents. More than a quarter of the detainees entered the country as unaccompanied minors. The rival gang of MS-13, the 18 ^th Street Gang, also operates extensively in the U.S. the two gangs are battling for the control of drug trafficking, robbery, and extortion networks in Central America. The U.S. Department of Justice and law enforcement authorities from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala filed criminal charges against 3,800 members from the two gangs, including 70 members living in six different states. Contrary to the practices of the Obama administration, immigration officials also are targeting teenagers in the gang crackdowns. Legal representation is essential to fighting back against deportation charges brought by the federal government, whether you are accused of gang activity or another ground for deportation. The Oakland deportation defense attorneys of Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. know how to help you through every step of your deportation proceedings. Take the first step today toward securing the future of your family in the United States, and call our office at (510) 756-4468 to set up a legal evaluation with one of our highly skilled California immigration lawyers.