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BLOOMINGDALE - 32 suspected gang members netted in raid
(by Rebecca Scanlon - News Editor - November 18, 2008)
BLOOMINGDALE - Thirty-two suspected gang members and associates, six of whom authorities said have violent criminal records, were arrested early Tuesday morning in Butler and Bloomingdale in a multi-agency operation, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson.
All of the arrests were made through alleged immigration violations, ICE spokesman Harold Ort said. According to authorities, six of those arrested have reportedly been previously charged with violent crimes ranging from aggravated assault to domestic violence.
The exact locations of where the arrests were made could not be obtained before press time.
Three years ago, on Nov. 17, 2005, Operation Community Shield in the Butler and Bloomingdale area yielded 10 suspected gang members. The investigation stemmed from evidence tied to the violent Mexican gang Sureno 13 that was found at a house at 120 Main St. in Bloomingdale. Many of the occupants were deported to Mexico for an illegal status; the investigation revealed no known felonies in their records.
Tuesday’s arrests emphasize ICE’s commitment to keeping the streets clean, Ort said. This year, ICE has arrested more than 200 suspected gang members in New Jersey, including 39 alleged violent offenders in Hudson County in June, Ort said.
“We’re not going to stop until we’ve taken back the streets,” Ort said.
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