Eight members of the MS-13 gang were arrested Tuesday in Colorado and California, and police are searching for another four people.

Eight members of the MS-13 gang were arrested Tuesday in Colorado and California, and police are searching for another four people. In addition, seven people were already in custody before Tuesday, and one has been deported."We wanted to get it at the front end and try and stop it before they got the good foothold," said Deputy Denver Police Chief Michael Battista. "I think by taking down these individuals in communities in the Denver metro area, we did accomplish that."It will have an impact on slowing their growth, if not stopping it in Colorado."The gang migrated from Los Angeles in an attempt to expand its drug trafficking activities, said David Gaouette, acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado.MS-13 members specifically targeted Denver because they believed law enforcement here was "soft," said James Davis, special agent in charge of the FBI in Denver."They thought they had an opportunity here to take hold and expand," Davis said. "I think that this investigation proves that that's not the case. This investigation takes out a significant portion of that gang structure here in Denver." Members of Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13, are mostly Salvadoran nationals and first-generation Salvadoran-Americans. They also include Hondurans, Guatemalans, Mexicans and other Central and South American immigrants Mara is gang, Salva refers to El Salvador, and Trucha means, "look out or beware." The number 13 is homage to the letter M, 13th letter in the alphabet, and signifies the Mexican Mafia. Membership: 7,000 to 10,000 members in at least 42 states and the District of Columbia

Criminal activity: Drug distribution, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions, immigration offenses, kidnapping, carjackings/auto thefts and vandalism. Most of these crimes are exceedingly violent

A multi-agency gang task force began investigating MS-13 in 2006. In addition to obtaining indictments against 20 people, authorities seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, 124 grams of heroin, 12 firearms and $3,300 in cash.The drugs were distributed on the streets of metro Denver as well as in the High Desert State Prison in California, officials said.MS-13, which formed in Los Angeles and consists mainly of Salvadoran nationals and first generation Salvadoran-Americans, has an international reach, with 7,000 to 10,000 members in the United States.

"MS-13 has no place in our cities," said Daniel Roberts, the FBI's Deputy Assistant Director in Washington, D.C.

The FBI and law enforcement officials in Los Angeles have partnered with the El Salvadoran National Police and with police in cities and states across the country to "root out gangs wherever we can," Roberts said. Officials are applying the same techniques they've used for years in mob investigations.
"The MS-13 is really mobsters without borders," he said. "They really are wreaking havoc in several different countries in Latin America as well as in the United States."Authorities in the Denver-area investigation targeted the gang's leadership and also snared associates and drug suppliers.Those arrested face charges that include conspiracy to distribute illicit drugs and possession with the intent to distribute. Among those arrested were Gerardo Lopez, 31, of Denver, and Jose Garcia-Sanchez, 26, of Aurora, who are believed to be gang leaders.
If convicted on the drug distribution charges, the gang members could face 20 years to life in prison."This gang, at least in this particular area, was in its infancy," Gaouette said. "If you take out 20 members of a gang that is just getting started here, I think you can certainly say we put a dent in it."Perhaps the headquarters, if you will, of the gang, will not send any more members to Denver."

750 members of a Mexican drug- trafficking cartel were arrested during a 21-month operation by US, Mexican and Canadian police

750 members of a Mexican drug- trafficking cartel were arrested during a 21-month operation by US, Mexican and Canadian police, the US Justice Department said Wednesday. The department said it had dealt a 'crushing blow' to the Sineloa cartel, also known as the Federation and one of the biggest drug gangs in Mexico. 'International drug trafficking organizations pose a sustained, serious threat to international safety and security,' said US Attorney General Eric Holder in a press conference. 'They are a national security threat.' The Justice Department said the 21-month operation led to more than 750 arrests, some 70 networks across the US had been shut down, 12,000 kilograms of cocaine and 150 weapons were seized and about 1 billion dollars in revenue had been denied the cartel as a result. Holder said there was an 'ongoing effort' in Mexico and the United States but that the operation, led by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, had severely restricted the cartel's ability to operate. 'We simply cannot afford to let down our guard,' he said. 'These cartels will be destroyed.' The crackdown against drug gangs has resulted in a dramatic uptick in violence, murders and kidnappings in Mexico over the last year. Holder acknowledged many had sacrificed their lives in the drug war, but he was confident that standing strong against the gangs would ultimately bring peace to the region.

Larry Safie, 25, who came to London from Ghana for a better life, was killed by a single bullet, believed to be to the back of the head

Larry Safie, 25, who came to London from Ghana for a better life, was killed by a single bullet, believed to be to the back of the head, Sunday afternoon, February 22, 2009.The murder shattered the calm of an East Dulwich neighbourhood popular with young families and unused to gangland violence.The dead man's father spoke of his shock and fear - and told how his family is “scared stiff” that the killer is still at large.

The murder followed a wave of violence that swept the capital over the weekend. Three other people were killed in knife and arson attacks and there were shooting sprees in Hackney and Greenwich.

Mr Safie died as he walked down Barry Road. As he passed a former Victorian girls' school, now converted into flats, his killer approached from behind and shot him once, before fleeing.An ambulance was called at about 1.15pm but Mr Safie was pronounced dead at the scene.At one stage, the victim's legs were visible, sticking out from beneath a sheet, before forensic science officers erected a tent over the body and cordoned off Barry Road.A post-mortem examination is expected to take place today at Greenwich mortuary where formal identification will take place.Mr Safie's father, Kofi Osei-Safie, a 59-year-old postman, said: “Larry was walking along and somebody shot him from behind and then they escaped by running down a side street. Our whole family is in shock and it is very frightening.“I last saw Larry on Friday and he was all right. Then I saw on the television that a man had been shot. Larry has two young twin sisters and now everyone is scared stiff that the person who killed him is still out there.”The victim, who lived in a road nearby, was born in Ghana, which he left aged two, and was mourning the recent death of his grandmother.He was studying to retake his GCSEs and his father hoped he would take up an apprenticeship to become a plumber. Police believe one or more suspects escaped on foot, although witnesses reported a car speeding from the scene. Shortly afterwards, residents saw armed officers and a dog unit search the area.No one has been arrested and a murder investigation was launched by Operation Trident, which tackles gun crime in the black community.Elizabeth Devenish, 72, whose flat overlooks the crime scene, said: “Everything was quiet and I didn't hear any shots, which is unusual because you hear everything in the street.“Then about half a dozen police cars and a vans appeared and a bendy bus was made to stop in the middle of the road.”Darren McBride, 33, a project manager, said: “At Sunday lunchtime the road is normally busy with young families with pushchairs going to Peckham Rye or the pub. The road definitely feels rougher than when we moved in four years ago.”Mark Neuman, a 60-year-old human rights campaigner, said: “It was a terrible shock to come out of my house to see my neighbours in their front garden with police carrying weapons. It is very unusual for this to happen around here and everyone is shocked and saddened.” The neighbourhood around Barry Road is popular with young professionals and large homes can fetch up to £1million. But Tom Greene, 80, a former bricklayer, said: “The area has become really terrible. Every night you can hear shouting and bawling with gangs of up to six shouting in street slang. You're constantly looking over your shoulder when you're out.”A 14-year-old girl added: “We're quite near Peckham so you do get a lot of gangs coming here, like the Young Peckham Boys, and we know plenty of people who don't think twice about carrying a knife or gun, even to school.”

Mexican Mafia gang that's been trafficking methamphetamine in two West Texas cities since 2004 has been dismantled.

Federal authorities say a Mexican Mafia gang that's been trafficking methamphetamine in two West Texas cities since 2004 has been dismantled.Six people were arrested Wednesday morning in San Angelo and eight were already in state custody on related charges, a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office states. One man is still being sought.The 15 are charged in a 15-count federal indictment that alleges conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.Most face additional charges related to alleged drug and/or firearms offenses, the release states.

Fifteen suspected members and associates of the “Bloods” gang have been indicted on federal firearms, drug and robbery charges

Fifteen suspected members and associates of the “Bloods” gang have been indicted on federal firearms, drug and robbery charges – the third time in two years that authorities have targeted gangs and their criminal activities in Charlotte.The 41-count indictment, unsealed Wednesday, alleges that the gang members were selling cocaine, heroin and marijuana, operating a “crack house” on Dundeen Street in Charlotte, committing robberies and illegally using and possessing firearms.
Thirteen of the 15 suspects, with nick names like “Dawg,” “Wad,” “Brother Man,” “B-Dog” and “Monk,” were rounded up Wednesday morning and are in federal custody.The indictment followed a six-month investigation by the FBI and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. “Today's indictment underscores our ongoing commitment to eradicate violent drug gangs,” U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert said. “Law enforcement partnerships are critical to our success.It's the third time since 2007 that federal prosecutors have sought similar indictments against gang members in Charlotte.

In March of 2007, members of the Hidden Valley Kings, Charlotte's most notorious home-grown gang, were indicted in federal court. The gang members were sentenced to long prison terms in December.Last June, members of MS-13, a violent gang with roots in El Salvador, were indicted. The case is scheduled for trial in June.

“We have shown that when agencies work together, we have the power to bring down entire gangs,” Nathan Gray, who heads the FBI in North Carolina, said. “We will continue to do all we can to make sure people walk through their neighborhoods and not fear gang violence.”The indictment identified the defendants as members or associates of the Bloods or narcotics suppliers of the gang.The gang members are accused of conducting the bulk of their drug trafficking and other criminal activity in the area along Beatties Ford Road, between Capps Hill Mine Road and Brookshire Boulevard. They bought and sold narcotics in and around dwellings often referred to by the defendants as “the Spot,” “the Trap,” “Daddy's House,” and “the Dungeon,” according to the indictment.Another source of the gang's income, the indictment alleges, came from robberies of other drug dealers where both drugs and drug proceeds were obtained by violence and intimidation.“Today's operation impacts the entire city,” Policed Chief Rodney Monroe said. “The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and all of its law enforcement partners, will continue to work extremely hard to remove the fear and intimidation caused by gangs in our neighborhoods. Our strategy is to root out this type of criminal activity.”

Guinea’s security forces have detained the son and brother-in-law of late President Lansana Conte

Guinea’s security forces have detained the son and brother-in-law of late President Lansana Conte in a drug-smuggling investigation, police and security officials said on Tuesday.The detentions were a new challenge to Conte’s family since soldiers led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power following the president’s death in December.Human rights activists welcomed the arrests as a sign of a return to the rule of law in the country, a major bauxite producer, but also said the military junta should not use the anti-drug crackdown to settle political scores.Conte’s son Ousmane, an officer in Guinea’s army, was detained late on Monday and taken to the main military camp in the capital Conakry,Ousmane was arrested after Saturin Bangoura, the brother of the late president’s wife Henriette, confessed on state television on Monday to receiving tens of thousands of dollars in cash and goods from a “Colombian partner”.“He (Ousmane Conte) was named by those who had already been arrested, so he had to be detained,” said a second senior police officer, who confirmed the arrest but asked not to be named.
Like other West African countries, Guinea has become a transit point for Colombian cocaine being smuggled for sale in Europe and elsewhere.

Jackie Tran "Don't bother giving me any of these duty to warn things. This isn't going to be over until they're all dead or we're all dead."

Jackie Tran immigration appeal board hearing a Calgary police gang expert spoke.
Sgt. Gavin Walker told the board Jackie Tran is a member of the FK gang and that he is known to associate with many other gang members in the city.
Walker says there has been a feud going on between the FK gang and the FOB gang in the city for a number of years and at least one assassination attempt has been made on Tran's life. Police say when they told Tran his life could be in danger, he said "Don't bother giving me any of these duty to warn things. This isn't going to be over until they're all dead or we're all dead." Tran has testified to the board he does not belong to a gang.