The US Department of Homeland Security announced the arrests of 1,785 gang members and associates, criminals and immigration violators, and the seizure of more than 100 firearms as part of a six-month intensive Immigration and Customs Enforcement-led law enforcement operation executed in 89 cities across the country. The operation was completed on September 30, 2009...
Of the 1,785 individuals arrested during the surge, 1,472 were gang members, associates or those otherwise criminally charged -- including almost 35 percent with violent criminal histories and 16 gang leaders. The remaining individuals were encountered and arrested for immigration violations during the enforcement action and have been placed into removal proceedings...
Since inception through Sept. 30, 2009, ICE agents working in conjunction with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies nationwide have arrested more than 14,800 street gang members and associates. Over a third of these apprehensions, or 5,829 of the arrested gang members or gang associates had a violent criminal history. Also, 180 of those arrested were gang leaders, and 2,572 were MS-13 gang members or associates.
Through this initiative, ICE has seized 806 firearms. To date, of those arrested, 6,030 have been charged criminally, and 8,852 have been charged with immigration violations and processed for removal.