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ICE raid leads to 1,000 gang arrests, including 20 in Michigan

Published  May 12, 2017 12:17pm EDT
News
FOX 2 Detroit
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All images courtesy of ICE

DETROIT (WJBK) - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Friday that more than 1,300 people were arrested in suspected gang-related activity. That includes 20 in Michigan and 13 from Detroit.

ICE announced the arrests of 1,378 on Friday. The operation targeted gang members and associates involved in transnational criminal activity, including drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human smuggling and sex trafficking, murder and racketeering.

During the operation, HSI partnered with other law enforcement agencies to seize more than 200 firearms, narcotics like cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana and $491,763 in U.S. currency.

Among the arrests, 20 were in Michigan with seven from Flint and the other 13 from Detroit. ICE reports that the arrests were all part of the following gangs:
IMOB (Flint-based gang)
Spanish Cobras (Flint)
East Side Crips (Flint)
Latin Count (Detroit)
18th Street (Detroit)
Chedda Ave (Detroit)
Surenos (Detroit)

Of the 1,378 arrests, 1,098 were on federal or state charges, including 21 with murder-related charges and seven for rape and sexual assault. 280 were arrested on immigration violations.

933 of the arrests were U.S. citizens and 45 were foreign nationals.

ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan said in a press release that this has been an ongoing issue and is reliant on local law enforcement to end the threat that gangs pose.

“Gangs threaten the safety of our communities, not just in major metropolitan areas but in our suburbs and rural areas, too,” Homan said. “Gang-related violence and criminal activity present an ongoing challenge for law enforcement everywhere. Our efforts to dismantle gangs are much more effective in areas where partnership with local law enforcement is strongest.”  

U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Michigan State Police and the Detroit and Flint Police Departments all assisted in the arrests in Michigan.