Weeklong ICE surge nets 32 gang arrests in S. Texas

June 6, 2008, 4:24PM
Weeklong ICE surge nets 32 gang arrests in S. Texas


By ELIZABETH WHITE
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO — More than 30 gang members and their associates were arrested this week in an operation that stretched from Austin to Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Friday.

Authorities said 23 of the 32 arrests were made in San Antonio, many of them on outstanding warrants. Those arrested in the five-day operation are affiliated with violent transborder street gangs such as the Mexican Mafia, authorities said.

"This is not a sweep, this is not a roundup," said Jerry Robinette, special agent in charge of investigations for ICE's San Antonio office. "This is based on intelligence that we shared and came up with a target list."

Of those arrested in San Antonio, 17 were arrested on state warrants for offenses including assault and weapons and drug violations. One was picked up on a federal charge, and the other five were found to be in the U.S. illegally from Mexico and Honduras, Robinette said.

Of the nine arrested in Austin and Laredo, one was in the U.S. illegally and the others were targeted as part of drug-related investigations, Robinette said.

The operation lasted from Sunday through Thursday.

"What we did this week is really just a snapshot of what we do on a day-to-day basis," Robinette said. "This is something that doesn't stop as of last night ... I suspect there will be more arrests in the future."

Several other agencies from the local to federal level helped with the operation.

This week's surge was part of a national ICE initiative, "Operation Community Shield." Robinette said that in preparation for the operation authorities identified more than 260 people in the San Antonio area as possible targets.

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