Transnational Gangs

EL CENTRO – California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the “total dismantlement” of a significant Mexican Mafia cell in Imperial and San Diego Counties after a twenty-month investigation led to the indictment of 31 mafia members. The attorney general will prosecute the case with the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office.

California Attorney General Brown said: “The state will prosecute, to the fullest extent, these Mexican Mafia members and associates for their heinous crimes. Today’s arrests should send a strong message--law enforcement at all levels will fight for total dismantlement of these violent criminal organizations.”

In 2005, officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, California Department of Corrections, Imperial County District Attorney’s Office and California Attorney General’s Office formed the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force to conduct an investigation into the mafia’s criminal activities. The results of the investigation led the San Diego County Grand Jury to provide an indictment of the 31 defendants on August 21, 2007.

The indictment indicates that in November 2005, Mexican Mafia member Richard Buchanan of San Diego transferred authority over criminal activities in Imperial County to Patrick Ponce. Ponce oversaw drug trafficking operations and the extortion of local criminals, such as drug dealers and alien smugglers, in Imperial County.

Under the 46-count indictment, defendants are charged with violations of the California Penal, Health and Safety Codes, including: conspiracy to commit extortion and distribution of narcotics, attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder, kidnapping, extortion, attempted extortion, torture, drug sales, firearms sales, assault with the intent to commit great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of an assault weapon. All 46 counts are gang-related under the California’s Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, an enhancement that ensures all mafia members will face stiff sentences, if convicted, of seven years to life imprisonment.

The Mexican Mafia was formed as prison gang in Los Angeles during the mid-1950s and today it is considered to be one of most powerful, violent, and well-organized criminal organizations in California. The mafia’s connections reach beyond California prison walls to locations throughout the United States and Mexico. The California Department of Corrections reports that there are approximately 150 validated members and associate members of the Mexican Mafia that constitute the organization’s top leadership. A typical Mexican Mafia member has authority over criminal activities in a given jurisdiction, such as a prison or an entire county. In California, the Mexican Mafia sends orders, from prison, to thousands of local Hispanic gang members who carry out commands within prisons and on the streets.

During the investigation that led up to today’s crackdown, agents arrested 12 gang members and seized firearms, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Other law enforcement agencies who assisted with the investigation were the El Centro Police Department, Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, Calexico Police Department, Brawley Police Department, Holtville Police Department, California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Border Patrol, California Department of Corrections, Parole Division, Imperial Valley Narcotic Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The defendants will be arraigned next Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. in San Diego Superior Court, Department 11. The indictment is attached.

ATWATER — California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a “major gang takedown,” following the arrest of dozens of A-Town Gang members in the town of Atwater. The crackdown, by State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement agents, includes significant drug and gun seizures.

Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. said: “Too many Central Valley gang members think they can act with impunity. Law abiding citizens have too long been terrorized by thugs and small-time gangsters. Today’s major gang takedown should send a message: the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will use every available legal tactic to rid rural counties of this growing cancer.”

The 150 member A-Town gang ran narcotics to states including Montana and Washington and terrorized Atwater--for decades--with robberies, murders, and illegal use of dangerous weapons. Today’s takedown culminated a focused effort to dismantle the A-Town crime apparatus and provide evidence for prosecution of its members to the fullest extent of the law. Investigations by Department of Justice agents garnished extensive intelligence on the gang’s national drug trafficking and criminal activity.

During Phase I of the takedown, which occurred Saturday morning, agents arrested seven top gang members and seized cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, firearms, vehicles and approximately $40,000. To date, agents have served approximately 40 search warrants, arrested approximately 26 suspects, and intercepted a bulk delivery of marijuana destined for Montana. Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement agents utilized intelligence tactics including gang graffiti tracking, arrest statistics analysis, and gang member and informant interviews.

Gang activity has plagued the city of Atwater and County of Merced for a number of years. Around 1990 the A-Town Dukes criminal gang was formed in Atwater and eventually became the A-Town Surenos, now commonly known as A-Town. This is the city’s largest gang and members are located all over Merced County. Gang members have been involved in numerous crimes including shootings, drug possession, drug sales, vehicle thefts, robberies and homicides.

Agencies involved in today’s operation include: California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement GSET (Gang Suppression Enforcement Team), Atwater Police Department, Merced County District Attorney’s Office, Merced County Sheriff’s Department, Merced Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
GSET Agents are experts in conducting complex investigations needed to dismantle violent criminal street gangs. The agents identify gang members, investigate gang-related violent crime, and assist local law enforcement agencies in gathering intelligence to conduct investigations and arrest top-level gang members.

WHAT: California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. will join with law enforcement at the 16th Annual National Gang Violence Conference sponsored by the California Gang Investigators Association and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 17, 2007. Attorney General Brown will be giving opening remarks.

WHO: Attorney General Brown joins with national and state law enforcement officials including Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Michael Sullivan. 1700 members of law enforcement are expected to attend the conference.

WHEN: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 17, 2007.

WHERE: Anaheim Marriott Hotel, Grand Ballroom

NOTE: for more conference information: http://www.cgiaonline.org/Conference2007/Six-Page-Flyer.pdf

STOCKTON -- California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced today a “major take down” of key leaders of the Loc Town Crips (LTC), a Stockton-based Cambodian street gang responsible for extensive drug and gun trafficking in California and throughout the country.

The attorney general's investigation, which began last December, uncovered widespread violence and drug dealing, including drive-by shootings and sales of methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana in California, North Carolina, Ohio, Philadelphia and Rhode Island. Gang members arrested Wednesday were charged with multiple weapons and drug offenses.

“The Loc Town Crips terrorized Stockton neighborhoods and operated a virtual underground business, using the Internet, text messaging and FedEx to complete their deals,” Brown said. “Today's major take down ends the reign of one of the most sophisticated and vicious gangs operating in California today.”

In the last six months, the gang participated in at least four drive-by shootings in the Stockton area alone. One gang member has already been arrested for homicide. LTC gang members posted photos of themselves flashing letter “L” gang signs on MySpace.com. Some of their aliases include “Looney,” “Joker” and “Grouch.” The gang also posted rap music touting their criminal behavior on various Web sites. The Loc Town Crips have a history of arrests and convictions for assault, robbery, residential robbery and murder. They are believed to have participated in dozens of drive by shootings in Stockton alone.

LTC has approximately 100 members in the Stockton area. Some gang members speak both English and Khmer. They identify with the color blue and the label LTC. One of their primary operation areas, dubbed 'Oak Park,' is an apartment complex located at 3830 N. Alvarado Street. Gang members commonly claim 'Oak Park' when identifying their gang.

The Loc Town Crips ran drugs in and out of California to pay for weapons which they used in drive by-shootings targeting rival gangs. The gang used commercial package services, including FedEx, DHL and UPS to transport drugs, cash and weapons as top gang members organized transactions with out-of-state associates via text messaging. The commercial carriers cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation. Top gang members also used text messages to plot violent acts including drive-by shootings of rivals.

The arrests, the largest California gang crackdown this year, were coordinated by the California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement Gang Suppression Enforcement Team, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, the Stockton Police Department, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, the San Joaquin County Probation Department, the Lodi Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Stockton Unified School District Police, and the Sacramento Police Department.

San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Tori Verber said that during the past two years, Asian gang members accounted for half of the local gang prosecutions, including assaults, drive-by shootings, and a murder within the Stockton area.

“In order to combat the fear and violence that results from gangs that exist throughout our communities, partnerships with various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies must continue and expand,” said Stockton Police Department Chief Wayne Hose. “No agency can do it alone. The Stockton Police Department appreciates the help, both in resources and manpower that we have received in this recent anti-gang operation and in the past. We look forward to a continued close working relationship with the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement and all the other agencies involved.”

Since the California Department of Justice agents began their investigation in December 2006, agents seized methamphetamine, weapons and $50,000 in drug proceeds. Intelligence used included tracking gang graffiti, reviewing arrest statistics and interviewing gang members.

The attorney general's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement's Gang Suppression Enforcement Team consists of agents tasked with identifying, investigating and deterring gang-related violent crime. The agents are experts in conducting complex investigations needed to target and dismantle criminal street gangs. They assist local law enforcement agencies across the state in gathering intelligence and making cases and arrests against top-level gang members in a bid to disrupt their criminal enterprise.

There are nearly 500 Asian street gangs in California with the majority of them belonging to Vietnamese, Chinese/Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong, and Mien gangs and are commonly referred to by law enforcement authorities as Southeast Asian gangs. The presence of Southeast Asian gangs in California began in the last 30 years after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Nearly all of their gang-related characteristics were adopted from existing street gangs and personalized for each of their respective gangs such as claiming colors, throwing hand signs and their way of walk, talk and dress.

See attached fact sheet for additional information.

Attorney General Brown will hold a press conference today at 1:00 p.m. at the Stockton Police Department 22 East Market Street, 2nd Floor Stockton, CA 95202