Twenty-four transnational gang members were arrested Thursday under Operation Matador, the
intelligence driven, unified effort to combat the proliferation of MS-13 and other transnational criminal gang activity in Long Island, the New York City metropolitan area and Hudson Valley, according to an ICE media dispatch.
This brings the total arrested under this initiative to 475.
The statement by ICE said that a total of 475 individuals were arrested during this ongoing enforcement effort, most of which were confirmed as gang members and affiliates.
"...The most prominent gangs with arrests during this operation were MS-13 with 274 arrests and the 18th street gang with 15 arrests. This operation yielded 227 total criminal arrests and 248 administrative arrests. Of the gang members arrested during this ongoing enforcement action, 80 had additional criminal histories, including prior convictions for assault and weapons charges. 5 are facing serious criminal charges..."
ICE said Others taken into custody during the operation included:
- An MS-13 member from El Salvador who admitted to killing rival gang members at the age of 12 in his home country and assimilated to the gang on Long Island, involved in criminal activity was arrested and deported.
- An El Salvador national wanted, pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice for killing law enforcement in El Salvador.
- An MS-13 member arrested in Brentwood admitted to killing three gang members in El Salvador at the age of 13.
- An 18th Street Gang Member as part of this enforcement operation yielded a handgun that was likely going to be used against a rival gang.
ICE breaks down those numbers further: The arrestees, 462 male and 13 female, included nationals from 10 countries – El Salvador (199); Honduras (56); Mexico (31); Guatemala (27); Ecuador (05), Dominican Republic (21) and St. Lucia (1). Nassau County accounted for 210 arrests, the largest number of arrests during this operation to date, but DHS TOCI personnel conducted enforcement actions in multiple communities throughout Long Island, New York City and the Hudson Valley area.
"...Ninety-nine individuals arrested during this operation crossed the border as unaccompanied minors, all of which were confirmed as MS-13 gang members. 64 individuals arrested during this operation obtained Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ) after entering the country, all of which were confirmed as MS-13 gang members. Of the 99 UACs ... [Undocumented Alien Children]... , 64 had SIJ status..."
SIJ status stands for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which means that under this status, State Judges and Immigration officials can jointly grant children a special humanitarian designation, if they decide undocumented children have been abandoned, abused, or neglected by one of their parents in their home country. These children, who qualify, are given a U.S. Social Security number, a work permit, and a green card. It's up to the illegal alien child to apply for this status, and the child may be helped by family court counselors. In 2016, the numbers show, about 15,000 children were granted the status, with 80 percent of 5,114 applications granted in the first three months of 2017.
ICE said that of "... those arrested during this ongoing operation, 65 have been ordered released from ICE detention by an immigration judge. 4 have been re-arrested for local criminal charges ..."
According to ICE's statement, "... not all evidence is presented before an immigration judge for a detention hearing. Some evidence is withheld in order to safeguard the integrity of law enforcement’s investigative techniques and protect concurrent or future investigations ..."
"... Some of the individuals arrested during the enforcement action will be presented for federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation, a federal felony. Those not being criminally prosecuted will be processed for removal from the country. Individuals who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to immediate removal from the country on federal charges. The remaining arrestees are entered into immigration proceedings and will go before an immigration judge. To date, a total of 70 have received a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge and have been removed from the United States to their home countries..."
Here's a description of 'Operation Matador: "
Operation Matador, operating under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Transnational Organized Crime Initiative (DHS TOCI), was launched by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York along with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). This joint initiative is comprised of HSI special agents, ERO deportation officers and the ICE Office of Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and state and local law enforcement partners to include Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) and the Hempstead Police Department. The DHS TOCI is responsible for identifying, interdicting and investigating a wide variety of transnational border crime with a concentration on MS-13 gang activity.
ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan said:
"...“Operation Matador sends a clear message to violent street gangs that there are consequences for their actions. Since this operation began last year, we have seen a decrease in the amount of violent crime directly related to MS-13 and other transnational gangs ... That is a direct result of the strong partnerships between ICE Homeland Security Investigations, local law enforcement, and our community partners in support of a common goal: targeting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations. We will not rest until our communities are safe and these dangerous individuals are brought to justice..."
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