More than 250 suspected members of the dangerous international MS-13 gang were arrested in a six-month crackdown by the U.S. government.
‘Operation Raging Bull’ was carried out in two parts. The first phase started in September and resulted in the arrests of 53 suspected MS-13 members in El Salvador, where most of its members come from.
The second phase took place between October 8 and November 11, in the U.S., during which an additional 214 suspected gang members were arrested, the Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday.
The U.S. government has arrested 267 suspected MS-13 members since September. A heat map above show where the arrests were made
Most of the MS-13 members were arrested were from El Salvador, where the group has ethnic ties
MS-13, which is short for Mara Salvatrucha, was originally set up in Los Angeles in the 1980s to protect Salvadorean immigrants in the city. But it quickly spread to metro areas across the country and delved into the criminal underworld – engaging in drug trafficking, child prostitution, human smuggling and racketing, among other things.
The gang has set a dark cloud over the New York City suburbs on Long island, where several teens have been found murdered in suspected confrontations with gang members.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has described MS-13 as ‘one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the United States today’.
A suspected MS-13 members is arrested in Dallas on November 15
MS-13 gang members are known for their tattooed bodies. Above, a suspected gang member being arrested in Dallas on November 2
Of the 214 arrested in the U.S., 198 were foreign nationals and only five of those foreigners had a legal right to be in the U.S. Above, a suspected gang member being taken into custody in Southern California on November 9
Law enforcement agents in Dallas, Texas fingerprint a potential suspect on November 15
Attorney General Jeff Sessions says President Trump has made it a priority to crackdown on the group. Above, a suspect is fingerprinted on Long Island, New York on Halloween
A confiscated Salvadorean flag is seen after being confiscated in the six-week crackdown
Sixteen of the gang members arrested in the U.S. were American citizens. Above, a suspect being arrested in Southern California on November 9
MS-13 members are known for carrying our brutal murders. Above, a suspect is taken into custody on Long Island on Halloween
Tackling MS-13 has been a top priority for President Trump, Sessions said in a press released about the operation.
‘These 267 arrests are the next step toward making this country safer by taking MS-13 off of our streets for good,’ Sessions said.
Of the 214 suspected gang members that were arrested in the U.S., 93 face charges for crimes ranging from forgery to murder.
The remaining 121 were arrested for violating U.S. immigration laws, meaning they will likely be deported back to their native countries.
Also shocking is how many of the arrested gang members weren’t even allowed to be in the country in the first place.
Sixteen of the U.S. arrests were American citizens. The remaining 198 were foreign nationals, of which only five were legally allowed to be in the U.S. Sixty-four of them illegally crossed the border as unaccompanied alien children, the press release claimed.
While Operation Raging Bull is being heralded as a victory, there are still many dangerous MS-13 members that the government is still targeting. They have since added six individuals to a list of their most wanted individuals. One is wanted for homicide in Texas, the other five are wanted for killing Salvadorean police officers.
The operation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with the help from federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners.
The U.S. government is still looking for these six gang members, all wanted for homicide