Successful Raid on MS-13 Gang Conducted in LA This Morning

Early Wednesday morning, members of the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The FBI, and officers with the Los Angeles Police Department camped out outside of more than 24 known bases of the gang known as Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 for short. After the raids, which were conducted at 4 AM, were concluded 21 members of this deadly gang were arrested.

What has been termed as the most successful raid in Los Angeles history occurred in a storefront and back building, which, when raided, contained gang members involved in human trafficking.

Those arrested were among 44 suspects from MS-13 facing charges from Murder to Racketeering. Carolos Alfredo Cardoza Lopez, Alexander Paredes Rivas, and Joffri Molina are all facing murder charges, which if convicted of, could result in the death penalty. That will be decided on at another point in the trials.

In addition to the 21 who were arrested this morning, the lead defendant will be 43-year-old Jose Balmore Romero, also known as ‘Porky,’ who was arrested in 2015. During his time in MS-13 he was the leader for two years (2013 and 2014), while also overseeing the drug trafficking activities. He also organized the collection of money gathered through extortion, some of which he would send back to the Mexican Mafia.

Los Angeles Skyline. Featured Image via Wikimedia.

This raid will possible be most famous for the blow that it will deal to the leadership and structure of MS-13. The former gang leader was arrested as well as 12 others who were members of their joint council of leaders.

MS-13 is one of the most notorious street crime organizations becoming the first transnational criminal organization. Under this title, the United States Treasury Department was able to freeze the gang’s financial assets prohibiting financial institutions from aiding this deadly gang.

Although they have been around since the 1980s, they first received national attention in 2004 when members of MS-13’s Washington D.C. branch cut off the hands of a 16-year-old boy who was a member of a rival gang. Since then, the public has become aware of a multitude of crimes they have committed including assault, racketeering, extortion, and kidnaping to list a few.

In recent years, however, the actions taken by LAPD by cracking down on crime have loosened MS-13’s strangle hold on illegal immigrants, who were their primary members. Since 2007 LA County has created 7 joint task force operations which has resulted in 200 members being imprisoned, and overall enrollment to drop from 1,200 members to only 800 members. Those in the criminal justice system in Los Angeles are hopeful that this morning’s raid in LA is just the beginning of many more raids which will ultimately dismantle the organization.