Project Southern Tempest

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Project Southern Tempest
Project Southern Tempest ICE Makes 20,000th Arrest USA 2011.jpg
ICE making an arrest in Salt Lake City
DateDecember 2010 – February 2011
OutcomeSuccessful project, 678 gang members and associates arrested


Project Southern Tempest [1] was a major U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation conducted between December 2010 and February 2011 targeting transnational street gang members with ties to drug cartels in Mexico, as part of the ongoing law enforcement initiative known as Operation Community Shield. [2]

Contents

Project

During Project Southern Tempest, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit and officers from 173 cooperating federal, state and local law enforcement agencies arrested 678 individuals from 133 different gangs, in 168 cities across the nation. Of the 678 arrested, over 46% percent were members or associates of gangs with ties to drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in Mexico. [1]

ICE Director John Morton issued the following statement: "Project Southern Tempest is the largest ever ICE-led gang enforcement operation targeting gangs with ties to drug trafficking organizations. Through gang enforcement operations like Project Southern Tempest and Project Big Freeze last year, ICE will continue to disrupt and dismantle these transnational gangs and rid our streets not only of drug dealers, but the violence associated with the drug trade." [1] [3]

In addition to the 678 arrested gang members, 164 individuals were arrested for federal and/or state criminal violations, or administrative immigration violations. Of the 164, 117 were charged with criminal offenses, 46 had violent criminal histories, 47 were administrative arrests and 78 were foreign nationals. Eighty-six firearms, eight pounds (3.6 kg) of methamphetamine, 30 pounds (14 kg) of marijuana, one pound (0.45 kg) of cocaine, over US$70,000 and two vehicles were also seized. [1]

Arrests

Those arrested came from 24 countries in South and Central America, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Of the total number of arrested, 776 were males and 72 were females. [1]

Of the 678 gang members or associates arrested: [1] [3]

Among those arrested during Project Southern Tempest were: [1]

During Project Southern Tempest, the HSI-led Salt Lake City Operation Community Shield Task Force arrested the 20,000th gang member since the beginning of the operation in 2005. [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "678 gang members and associates arrested during Project Southern Tempest". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2016-04-01.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  2. Phil Keating (2011-03-01). "America's Third War: ICE Agents Nab More Than 600 Alleged Gang Members in Raids on U.S. Cities". Fox News. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  3. 1 2 Mickey McCarter (2011-03-02). "Aggressive ICE Operation Nets Hundreds Of Gang Members". Homeland Security Today. Retrieved 2016-03-21.