Inyo County Sheriff

SAN DIEGO COUNTY —- Federal immigration officials, with assistance from local law enforcement agencies, have arrested 60 Mexican nationals with ties to street gangs as part of an ongoing nationwide sweep, authorities said today.

The initiative by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement —- dubbed Operation Community Shield —- targeted gang members and associates in North County, including Vista, San Marcos, Escondido and Oceanside, agency spokeswoman Lauren Mack said. Most of the arrests made were in North County, she said.

Among those arrested were 11 people who will be criminally prosecuted, including six who will be prosecuted by the San Diego District Attorney’s office on state charges including drug and weapons violations, Mack said. The other five will be prosecuted on federal charges including weapons and re-entry after deportation, she said.

“Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout this area,” said Serge Duarte, deputy special agent in charge for the San Diego branch of the immigration office. “The violence, sophistication, and scope of these organizations have reached intolerable levels. This operation shows how ICE is working with its law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal organizations and protect our communities.”

In addition to those arrested who had gang ties, authorities also arrested 68 other Mexican nationals who are believed to be in the country illegally, including “many with prior criminal convictions,” Mack said. Arrestees who are not facing criminal prosecution will be processed to be deported, she said.

The sweep, which ended Friday, also involved the county sheriff’s department, Escondido and Oceanside police departments, the county probation department and the North County Regional Gang Task Force.http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08/22/news/top_stories/1_01_234_21_07.txt

I suppose. You just wait though, to see how fast things progress once a loved one of some political figure is the victim instead of some no-name individual. Frankly, I don’t want to see another U.S. Citizen victimized. I sure wish they felt that way.