Pubdate: Sat, 10 Nov 2012
Source: El Paso Times (TX)
Copyright: 2012 El Paso Times
Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/townhall/ci_14227323
Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829
Author: Hayley Kappes

EL PASO POLICE ROUNDUP ENDS WITH 100 GANG-RELATED ARRESTS

A nearly three-month operation that targeted gang-related crimes in
Northeast El Paso resulted in more than 100 arrests -- most of which
were on outstanding narcotics warrants.

Operation Triple Beam, which started in mid-August and ended Friday,
led to the arrests of 119 gang members and 17 convicted felons who
failed to register as sex offenders, according to the El Paso Police
Department.

Officers seized about $15,000 in cash, five firearms and drugs with a
street value of more than $85,000. More than 330 outstanding warrants
were cleared with the arrests.

"Some of these people are well-known gang members in the community and
well-known gangs themselves that have actual cartel ties in Mexico,"
Police Chief Greg Allen said. This is one of the things that's driving
our crime rates in El Paso. Statistically, (the Northeast) is where we
had the numbers that looked the most promising and from that we began
to see flare-ups in other areas of town."

Allen said he could not specify whether Mexican cartels using El Paso
to funnel drugs throughout the United States has caused a spike in
gang activity in town.

The increased crime in the Northeast has not been tied to Fort Bliss'
growth, but the socioeconomics of the area might have contributed,
Allen said.

"The lower part of Dyer is a little more dilapidated than the northern
parts of Dyer, so you can see certain problems occurring over and
over," Allen said. "We've had shootings there and different gangs
trying to power for ownership of different bars."

This year so far, two of 23 homicides have been gang related, Allen
said.

He declined to give more specifics about the gang members who were
targeted in the operation because doing so would compromise ongoing
investigations.

The operation was part of a national gang enforcement program overseen
by the U.S. Marshals Service, which gave the city $50,000 to cover
overtime expenses of El Paso police officers working on the
investigations. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives helped in the operation.

The U.S. Marshals Service has helped local and state law enforcement
agencies across the country carry out the same operation, including in
San Antonio and Tulsa, Okla., where the pilot program started in 2010.

Native El Pasoan Robert Almonte, U.S. marshal for the Western District
of Texas, said he wants to get more funding for more operations
targeting gangs in El Paso.

Almonte said the El Paso operation was a success because of the number
of fugitive gang members with criminal records and outstanding
warrants who were arrested.

Authorities on Oct. 4 arrested Carey Len Lewis, 30, on suspicion of
manufacture and delivery of cocaine and heroine, Almonte said as an
example of the typical arrests the operation had.

Lewis was booked into the El Paso County Jail on charges that included
unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of
marijuana between 2 and 4 ounces, according to county records.

"We're not going tolerate these gang members committing crimes in our
community," Almonte said. "We're going to stay on their heels. We're
not going to let them catch their breath. If they have a warrant out
for them... it's not a matter of if we're going to arrest them, it's a
matter of when."
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