Bolingbrook Police Assist Federal Authorities in Local Gang Arrests

Federal authorities targeting members of transnational gangs arrested more than 20 men during a five-day operation last week.

Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested 22 men in several Chicagoland communities, including Bolingbrook.

Names of the arrested men were not released but Bolingbrook Police Lt. Mike Rompa said as many as four of the men were from Bolingbrook.

Bolingbrook Police, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement release said, assisted in the effort.

The multi-agency operation began April 17 and is part of ICE’s Operation Community Shield. Arrests  also were made in Glendale Heights, Joliet and Melrose Park.

All 22 men, the release said, are documented members or associates of transnational street gangs, including Vice Lords, Latin Kings, Latin P-Stones, Two-Sixers and Sureno 13s, and have criminal histories that include arrests or convictions for a wide range of crimes committed in the United States.

Those crimes included aggravated battery to a peace officer, armed robbery, burglary, criminal damage to property, domestic battery, drunken driving, mob action, possessing marijuana with intent to deliver, residential burglary, unlawfully possessing a weapon by a felon and unlawfully using a weapon, the release said.

"Violent street gangs account for a burgeoning amount of crime in Chicago and our surrounding communities," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Chicago.

"ICE works in tandem with our local law enforcement partners to identify these gang members and remove them from the streets in the name of public safety."

Most of the arrested men are from Mexico, the release said, while two were from Guatemala and one from Ghana. Ages of the men ranged from 18 to 40.

All of the men remain in ICE custody on administrative immigration charges pending deportation. ICE does not release the names of those arrested on administrative immigration charges.

According to the release, Operation Community Shield began in 2005 and has led to the arrest of more than 20,000 gang members and associates linked to more than 900 different gangs.

As part of this effort, HSI's National Gang Unit identifies violent street gangs and develops intelligence on their membership, associates, criminal activities and international movements to deter, disrupt and dismantle gang operations.

Transnational street gangs have significant numbers of foreign-born members and are frequently involved in human and contraband smuggling, immigration violations and other crimes with a connection to the border, the release said.