MS-13 gang suspects arrested in Bay Area raids (San Francisco Chronicle)

MS-13 gang suspects arrested in Bay Area raids

Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, October 23, 2008

(10-22) 14:26 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Federal immigration agents arrested several alleged members of the notorious MS-13 street gang Wednesday after conducting raids at more than a dozen locations in San Francisco, Richmond and South San Francisco, authorities said.

Authorities said the investigation focused on a San Francisco faction of the violent group, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, which started in Southern California with roots in El Salvador.

"This is a major takedown," said Northern California U.S. Attorney Joe Russoniello, adding that the investigation dealt with alleged drug trafficking, gun running, terrorism and extortion activities of the group. He declined to provide further details about the raids.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice said that "targeting the criminal activity and violence perpetrated by street gangs is one of ICE's top priorities."

Most recently, authorities say, members of San Francisco's 20th Street clique of the gang have been tied to at least five slayings in the city, including the June 22 shooting in the Excelsior district that led to the deaths of Tony Bologna and his sons Matthew and Michael. Police say the family was mistaken for gang rivals and targeted after a shooting earlier in the day.

Police have also tied the group to the March 29 slayings of Ernad Joldic and Phillip Ng, men shot as they were sitting in a car early in the morning out front of a home in the Excelsior.

One of the alleged MS-13 members, Edwin Ramos, faces state charges in the Bologna killings. Another, Erick Lopez, is in custody on federal weapons charges stemming from his being arrested with the weapon that police later determined was used in the slayings of Ng and Joldic. He has not been charged in the homicides.

The raids were part of ICE's Operation Community Shield, which initially was aimed at the MS-13 group but has since grown to include other street and prison gangs.

Richmond police officials said officers assisted federal agents in Wednesday's raids in the East Bay city, including deploying a SWAT team.

Nate Ballard, spokesman for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, said the city's police department has worked with federal authorities on the case for years "and we are proud of the investigative work that our Police Department has been involved with."

South San Francisco police confirmed that they assisted federal agents in serving a search warrant on a location where one alleged gang member was arrested. Lt. Mike Newell said his department served a second search warrant on another member of the group, but he was later arrested outside South San Francisco.