Raul Madrigal stares and extends a defiant middle finger, apparently at feds hunting him.

Raul Madrigal stares and extends a defiant middle finger, apparently at feds hunting him.“He is kind of taunting us,” said Brian Ritchie, who leads the violent crimes and gangs task force for the FBI's Houston division, which has been trying to capture him for months. Authorities contend Madrigal, 29, is a key member of the fast-growing Tango Blast — the largest gang in the city — and that from 2007 to 2009, he helped the Gulf Cartel pump millions of dollars worth of marijuana and cocaine into Houston and the surrounding area.Fleeing to Mexico follows a Texas border crime tradition, but also speaks to what Washington sees as a growing threat posed by partnerships between Mexican drug cartels and U.S. gangs.Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer testified before Congress last week that the Department of Justice plans to step up investigations of the ties as part of a strategy similar to what was previously used to take on the mafia and other international syndicates.
Madrigal apparently made so much money that authorities intend to seize $18 million in assets in the case against him and 13 other defendants charged with trafficking under Operation Broken Star.They've already seized nine of Madrigal's bling cars, including a Bentley sedan, two BMWs and two Maseratis. All look showroom clean and remain parked in a heavily secured storage facility until they are sold at auction.
A 6.5 carat diamond ring also was taken as drug proceeds, as was a customized three-wheel T-Rex motorcycle, complete with ostrich-skin seats and an LCD monitor.
Authorities won't say whether they expect to see Madrigal in handcuffs anytime soon but note he's likely in a dangerous country where he can't stand alone. “He has probably aligned himself with some people who offer the protection he deserves and has earned,” Ritchie said.In Houston, the conspiracy is alleged to have started months after U.S.-born Madrigal was released from his second stint in a Texas prison, where agents speculate he reinforced dubious connections. Authorities said Tango Blast is an appealing partner for traffickers because it has many members and is spread out across the state. Other more traditional Latino gangs, such as the Mexican Mafia and the Texas Syndicate, also work with the cartels, according to a recent law enforcement report. “People are so worried the cartels are going to come over here, but they have these people at their beck and call,” said Pat Villafranca, an FBI spokeswoman in Houston.The cartel has the drug supply while the U.S. gangs know the streets, have the contacts and can blend in.“They get these guys to do their dirty work,” said Rick Moreno, a Houston police homicide investigator who has mapped out local gang connections to cartel murders, kidnappings and other crimes.
Among others charged in the conspiracy is Saul Salinas, the brother of a trafficker gunned down here in 2006. The case was recently solved and the suspects await trial.
“Madrigal hooked up with all these people he met in prison and out of prison,” the FBI's Ritchie said. His biggest connection was Mario Gonzalez, an accused cartel member and fugitive. Madrigal is charged in a conspiracy to move at least a ton of weed, but he is believed to have used a network of stash houses to sell about 5,000 pounds a month, enough to roll more than 3 million joints every 30 days.Even if Madrigal, who has a list of prior criminal offenses, again sees a courtroom, there is no guarantee of conviction. Four times he's had charges against him dismissed, and he wasn't charged in the death of a rival killed in a shootout. He was convicted twice and went to prison, once for theft and again for drug dealing.In the meantime, Madrigal's taunts give authorities motivation, said a veteran state law enforcement officer. “Old-school gangsters ... would never draw attention like that,” he said.

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Two suspected members of the MS-13 gang have been arrested and a third is being sought in the Daly City slaying

Two suspected members of the MS-13 gang have been arrested and a third is being sought in the Daly City slaying of a 21-year-old college student who was shot because his friends were wearing red - a color claimed by a rival gang - police said Thursday.One of Moises Frias Jr.'s companions was wearing a red sweater, and another a red-and-white San Francisco 49ers cap, when their car was riddled with bullets near the Daly City BART Station on Feb. 19. Frias died before he could reach the hospital, and two of the other three young men in the car were wounded.None of the victims had anything to do with gangs, investigators said."That's very stupid thinking," Moises Frias Sr. said after learning of the arrests. "They're going to shoot him just because of that? Why don't they just kill each other?"The father said he would ask San Mateo County prosecutors to seek the death penalty in the killing, which he said devastated his family and made him fear for the safety of his surviving 18-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter."I would never expect something like this to happen in my life," he said. "These guys, they destroyed my life, me and family, for nothing."Daly City police Detective Gregg Oglesby noted that Frias' shooting was strikingly similar to the June 2008 killing of a San Francisco father, Tony Bologna, and his two sons in the Excelsior neighborhood. Prosecutors say another member of MS-13 - a subset of the Sureño gang, which claims the color blue - opened fire after mistaking one of the sons for a member of the rival Norteños, who claim red."It's a sad day that young Hispanic men can't wear a red sweater without somebody pointing fingers at them and thinking he's a gang member," Daly City police Lt. Jay Morena said.Around the Bay Area, authorities say several such cases of mistaken gang affiliation in recent years have prompted killings, assaults and robberies. Many young Latino men say they are routinely "checked," or asked whether they are Norteño or Sureño."They don't do much verification of rival gang membership," Oglesby said. "It's a variation of racial profiling, but with potentially deadly consequences."In the Daly City case, Danilo Velasquez, 28, was arrested early Wednesday in San Francisco. Luis Herrera, 18, was already at San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of auto theft and possession of a gun that was later determined to have been used to kill Frias, police said. Both have been charged with murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait, three counts of attempted murder and enhancements for participating in a criminal street gang and weapons possession.A third alleged gang member, Jaime Balam, 20, was deported to his native Mexico eight days after the shooting - but before he was identified as a suspect - and is still being sought. Police said Balam, who had been deported once before, was picked up by federal immigration agents in San Francisco on Feb. 24.
Frias, who loved to dance to Mexican big band music and play baseball, was studying business at City College and was preparing to transfer to a state university. He was a technician at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission who hoped to build a career at the water agency.His friends, too, were college students. One was in his first year of law school. On the night they were attacked, police said, they were listening to loud rap music as they drove toward a restaurant in a Buick Regal. About 7 p.m., while the group was stopped at a light on John Daly Boulevard next to the Daly City BART Station, Velasquez and Balam jumped out of a stolen Honda Civic and sprayed the Buick with bullets from an assault rifle and a .380-caliber pistol, Morena said. The men got back into the Honda, which was driven by Herrera, and sped onto Interstate 280, police said.Frias, the Buick driver and another friend were shot. The driver managed to steer 2 miles to Seton Medical Center as the passenger who was unhurt called for help. Doctors met the young men in front of the hospital, but Frias was already dead. The Honda, which had been stolen in San Francisco's Mission District, was found by police in the Castro a day after the slaying.
Daly City police had few other leads until March 4, when a "very alert" San Francisco police officer stopped a car in which Herrera was a passenger and arrested him on suspicion of auto theft and possession of a loaded .380-caliber pistol, Morena said.Ballistics tests revealed that the pistol had been used in the Daly City shooting, Morena said.

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Wheaton man is fighting for his life.

Wheaton man is fighting for his life. Montgomery County Police say he was attacked, beaten and stabbed in the head Tuesday night on Matey Road. Five suspects, including two juveniles, were arrested and charged with attempted murder. Police say the suspected attackers have ties to a local gang. Investigators say the confrontation apparently began after the man called out to some women sitting on a porch. Neighbors say this is just the latest sign of escalating trouble. They are vowing to organize a neighborhood watch.

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Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang sting

Twenty more people have been arrested in an investigation that charges the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang with waging a racist campaign to eliminate black people from a Southern California city.A task force arrested the suspects on Wednesday.The arrests stem from a sting against the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang, which primarily operates in Hawaiian Gardens in southeastern Los Angeles County. An indictment unsealed in May details attempted murder, kidnapping, drug and other charges related to the gang's attacks.Since May, more than 300 gang members and associates have been arrested and charged in state and federal court.

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Alleged member of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang arrested with the assistance of West Australia Police.

Alleged member of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang arrested with the assistance of West Australia Police. He faced Perth Central Law Court after being charged in relation to an arrest warrant for alleged aggravated robbery, take and detain person in company with intent to obtain advantage, and participate in a criminal group.
He is expected to arrive at Sydney Airport, escorted by Gangs Squad detectives, late this afternoon and then face court tomorrow. The arrest relates to the alleged theft of 12 new motor vehicles from a holding yard on Shepherd Street at Liverpool, in Sydney’s south-west, about 6am on Saturday 14 February this year.Strike Force Eastbourne, comprising detectives from the State Crime Command’s Gangs Squad, with assistance from Liverpool Local Area Command, was established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft. It will be alleged that a group of 13 men entered the holding yard before assaulting three male employees, locking one of them in the boot of a car and the other two in a separate vehicle. The group allegedly stole keys from the premises before driving off with a dozen cars. Police will allege the estimated total value of the stolen vehicles is $500,000.Following extensive investigations, police have so far recovered 11 of the stolen vehicles. Detectives are continuing to appeal for public assistance to locate a white Mazda 3.

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Mohammed Haddara was shot dead as he was getting out of his car in the driveway of his parents' home

Mohammed Haddara was shot dead as he was getting out of his car in the driveway of his parents' home in Fifth Avenue around 7.45pm (9.45pm NZT) on Saturday.Neighbours reported hearing at least three shots.His brother, Nazim Haddara, said the victim was a father of two with a third child due next month."He was a gentleman. He was down to earth, easygoing. Loved his footy, loved everything in life, his kids," he told reporters.The spray painter had been for a drive with his younger cousin and was shot on his return, Mr Haddara said."He's got two kids, a son on the way – he is due in a month's time. No one deserves to die like that."Mr Haddara denied suggestions his brother was linked to a Lebanese crime gang.
"No, there's no reason. They're just gutless. Gutless pigs," he said.
Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Day of the homicide squad said police were hunting for two gunmen and a vehicle."It's believed the victim at some stage was in another vehicle, and we are looking for a possible offender from a second vehicle," he said.Police are looking for a gold or champagne-coloured 2005 Holden Commodore SS sedan that was seen in the street shortly before the drive-by shooting.The shooting is Melbourne's second in only a week following the death of gangland figure Desmond "Tuppence" Moran who was gunned down at a cafe in Ascot Vale last Monday.

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