Alex Sanchez, founder of the anti-gang organization Homies Unidos.

After a lengthy legal fight, an anti-gang activist accused of still participating in gang life by ordering a hit on a rival was granted $2 million bail on Wednesday, despite objections by federal prosecutors that he could flee to his native El Salvador.After a closed hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Manuel Real granted bail - to be paid half in sureties and half in real estate - to Alex Sanchez, founder of the anti-gang organization Homies Unidos."It shows what we've been saying: Alex is not a threat to the community and Alex is not a flight risk," said Sanchez's younger brother Oscar Sanchez. Oscar Sanchez said relatives and supporters, who include former state Sen. Tom Hayden, have already pledged $2.5 million in sureties and properties, and his brother could be freed in about a week after paperwork is processed."We trust in him," Oscar Sanchez said. "He's an asset to the community, not the danger they say he is."U.S. attorney's office spokesman Thom Mrozek said he could not comment because the hearing was not public and transcripts were ordered sealed.A former member of the brutal Mara Salvatrucha "MS-13" gang, Sanchez later disavowed gang life and became one of Los Angeles' best known gang interventionists who work to steer youth away from violence.Law enforcement officials, however, said the 37-year-old father of three was leading a double life as an active leader of an MS-13 faction in central Los Angeles.He was arrested last summer on a federal racketeering indictment based on wiretaps in which he allegedly ordered the murder of a troublemaker, Walter "Camaron" Lacinos, who was found dead in a Salvadoran beach town.Sanchez's arrest stunned his supporters, who have rallied to his defense, saying Sanchez's gang slang in phone calls was misinterpreted and that he is being railroaded.Real had ordered Sanchez held without bail, but the judge was ordered by an appellate court to rehear Sanchez's petition.At Real's request, prosecutors on Wednesday called three law enforcement officers who are experts in gang crime to testify about Sanchez's alleged continued involvement with MS-13.The government's witness list filed with the court Tuesday identified Los Angeles Police Capt. Justin Eisenberg; FBI Special Agent Robert W. Clark and Los Angeles City Attorney gang division head Bruce K. Riordan as the experts.At a hearing last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Carpenter said Sanchez posed a flight risk because he has ties to the MS-13 in El Salvador who would help him, even though Sanchez was granted political asylum based on threats against his life in the Central American country.
As proof, she cited the wiretapped phone calls that Sanchez made to associates in El Salvador."He is not actually in danger in El Salvador," Carpenter said.
She added that although Sanchez has removed visible gang tattoos, he still has an "MS-13" tattoo on his chest.Sanchez's attorney Kerry Bensinger argued that the wiretaps recorded Sanchez trying to mediate a gang dispute by suggesting that Lacinos be isolated from the rest of the gang. Sanchez was not talking to a hitman, as prosecutors allege, but to another inactive gang member, the lawyer said.Bensinger noted that Sanchez's last felony conviction was in 1994, and more than 100 people submitted letters to Real attesting to Sanchez's character. Bensinger did not return phone calls for comment Wednesday.

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Sofia mafia boss Stefan Bonev aka Sako

Bulgarian Police re-arrested alleged Sofia mafia boss Stefan Bonev aka Sako late Wednesday night, local media has reported.According to prosecutors Sako is part of the Krasimir Marionov aka the Big Marguin’s criminal group.Marinov has been charged with plotting and ordering the murder of controversial journalist, Bobi Tsankov, who was gunned down on January 5 in broad daylight on a busy Sofia boulevard. Tsankov was known for his ties with the mafia and for publications revealing the dark secrets of the underworld.Sako was also arrested on January 5 on suspicion of being involved in the murder of Tsankov, he was however released without charge a few days later.In November 2009, Bulgarian Police arrested Sako in Sofia after he chased former radio host Tsankov through the streets of the capital in his car. He is also reported to have made previous threats against Tsankov’s life. Sako was then released after paying BGN 6000 bail.

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Hells Angels motto, When we do right nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets.

Hells Angels motto, When we do right nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets.

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Arles Arauze, a former member of the Bloods street gang, said in court Tuesday that “everybody knows” Young was behind the August 2008 gang shooting

Two Fort Wainwright soldiers in the same SUV as a man who positively identified Arron Young as the College Road shooter testified Wednesday that they could not make out anyone in Young’s SUV.Arles Arauze, a former member of the Bloods street gang, said in court Tuesday that “everybody knows” Young was behind the August 2008 gang shooting, and he immediately recognized Young as an acquaintance from high school.
Young, a 23-year-old member of the Crips who goes by the street name “Big Nasty,” has been in jail since soon after the shooting. He faces three counts of attempted murder and six counts of weapons misconduct.To date, he is the only person who has been charged in connection with the shooting, during which witnesses said one or possibly two people in a silver SUV fired multiple shots at a green Buick full of members or associates of the Bloods street gang as the vehicles raced down a 1 1/2 mile stretch of College Road.Arauze and Pvt. Ernest Perez Jr. were passengers in a green GMC Envoy driven by Sgt. Warren Jones at the time of the shooting.The men had just left Jones’ house, along with the men in the Buick, and were on their way to a hotel when gunfire broke out on College Road. Fairbanks police, investigating several other gang-related shootings leading up to the College Road incident, had ordered the men to leave Jones’ home after they confiscated two guns from the residence.Jones said that a white Ford Expedition had shot at him a few days prior near the intersection of Danby Road and the Johansen Expressway. The shooting was never reported to police.Perez told police Jones’ home was “flamed up” with a red bandana, a common sign of the Bloods. Flamed up is a gang term meaning to dress in or wear lots of red to identify yourself as a gang member.Jones testified he was friends with Bloods who were staying at his home, but that he was not a member of the gang. Perez testified that aside from him and Jones, the men they were with wore a lot of red clothing.“They had never openly said they were Bloods, but I’m not stupid,” Perez said. “They had to be affiliated with the Bloods.”Neither soldier said they saw exactly who was shooting out of the white SUV on College Road, or even knew Young prior to the shooting.However, Perez said that when they stopped for gas a few minutes before the shooting, Arauze saw a white SUV on College Road and identified it as “Big Nasty’s car.”Maj. Bill Coppernoll, a spokesman for U.S. Army Alaska, said Jones and Perez were briefly restricted to Fort Wainwright while Fairbanks police investigated the shooting.He described them as being “fully cooperative” with the investigation, and both men deployed to Iraq for a year with Fort Wainwright’s Stryker brigade. Army regulations prohibit membership in “extremist organizations,” including street gangs.

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M-Set Grant Houses crew

Crips and Bloods drug dealers who terrorized a Manhattan housing project and boasted of their gang ties on MySpace were busted Wednesday, authorities said.The brazen gang - part of the "M-Set Grant Houses" crew - was taken down for selling cocaine, crack and heroin in the Grant Houses in Morningside Heights and nearby schools, investigators said.Eleven gangsters were indicted yesterday on gun and drug charges.
The MySpace pages, including profiles of "Gotti" and "Buddha," showed members flashing gang signs. One of the pages even included a newspaper article about a 2005 police investigation into the "M-Set" Crips."They were using the site to brag about their gang affiliations," said a law enforcement source.Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the investigation, dubbed "Grant Denied," began six months ago.NYPD and District Attorney detectives seized 190 grams of crack, 60 grams of cocaine and 51 glassines of heroin, said Lt. Keith Laughran of the Bronx gang squad. The drugs had a street value of about $20,000, a source said.

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Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll was blasted five times in the back of the head as he sat in a car

Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll was blasted five times in the back of the head as he sat in a car, yards from the main door while shoppers looked on.Detectives fear Glasgow's turf war between the Daniels and the Lyons will now escalate into a spate of revenge attacks.A police source said: "Gerbil was a big name and his killing is a huge deal.
"The fact the shooters were brazen enough to do it at lunchtime in a supermarket
"It's doubtful that the Daniels will let this lie and it's likely to mean dangerous times ahead."Carroll was sitting with three cronies in a black Audi car when he met his death just before 1.30pm in Robroyston, Glasgow.It is understood two handguns were used and police were last night hunting three men.The gunmen sped off in a dark-coloured car and would have been able to make a quick getaway on to the M80.Armed officers sealed off the car park. within minutes and shoppers were told to stay inside the store or in their cars.Stunned ASDA workers looked down on the murder scene from the first-floor staff canteen.The car in which Carroll was sitting was covered with a white tent as forensics experts combed the scene.An underworld source said Carroll, 29, was lured to his death under the pretence of a meeting with associates.Carroll, 29, was a key player in the Daniel vs Lyons feud which has resulted in countless shootings, slashings and fire attacks.Detectives were convinced he was behind a recent string of savage kidnappings.The thugs responsible were known as the Alien Abduction Gang because their traumatised victims told police they could not remember anything.It is thought the hit on Carroll may have been retribution for one of the kidnappings.Detective Superintendent Michael Orr said yesterday: "A man has been shot in broad daylight in a very public place. It is imperative that we trace those responsible who have no regard for public safety.
"We believe the victim was the intended target. However, I would like to reassure the public that a high police presence will be maintained in the area and ext ra resources will be deployed to trace the suspects."Carroll's on-off partner was Kelly Green, daughter of crime clan boss Jamie Daniel.Six years ago, Carroll was shot as the Daniel-Lyons feud erupted.The spat between the Lyons and Daniels is thought to have been reignited in November 2006 when the grave of eight-year-old leukaemia victim Garry Lyons was vandalised. He was the son of clan boss Eddie Lyons.
That year, Carroll survived a second shooting when he and pal Ross Sherlock were gunned down in Auchinairn, Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire.He was also linked with the triple shooting in which Michael Lyons was killed at Apple Row motors in Lambhill, Glasgow, that December.Carroll admitted one charge relating to the stolen Army weapons and ammo used and was jailed for 18 months.In September last year, Strathclyde's Gangs Task Force seized £4000 from Carroll - also known as McCabe - in Maryhill, Glasgow.Yesterday, more than 50 officers were dispatched the murder scene. A force helicopter hovered above the scene and staff and shoppers and were kept within the cordon until around 5pm.Police were last night studying CCTV footage.
In a statement on ASDA's Twitter site yesterday a company spokesman said: "We're sorry to say there's been a fatal shooting incident outside our store in Robroyston, Glasgow, this afternoon.

"We don't know the full details yet, but the police are in charge and are dealing with the situation and we're helping with their investigation."

The shooting is believed to be the first fatal gangland hit in daylight since drug baron Jim McDonald was gunned down in Cardonald, Glasgow, in May 2007.

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trial of several members of the MS-13 gang

Security is extremely tight this morning at the federal courthouse in Charlotte's uptown, for the start of the trial of several members of the MS-13 gang.In its 86 pages, the indictment details charges against 26 men arrested during a crackdown on MS-13.Among the allegations: "At all times relevant to this indictment, members of MS-13 engaged in criminal activity including drug distribution, murders, assaults, robberies, and obstructing justice in the form of threatening and intimidating witnesses

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Marbella was the best in the 80s, Freddie Foreman was cool.

Marbella was the best in the 80s, Freddie Foreman was cool. Duques Bar was the best and the "Navy Bar" was great. Even the hookers were classy. The Sinatra Bar was also fun. We need Gil Y Gil to come back and clean up the place

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Hells Angels and Outlaws armed with knives, were involved in the "battle" at the airport.

Police have issued a picture of a man they are trying to trace in connection with a riot inside an airport terminal.Detectives from West Midlands Police are trying to find 46-year-old Joseph Lagrue to speak to him in connection with the disorder at Birmingham International Airport on January 20, 2008.In June last year seven members of two rival biker gangs were each jailed for six years for their part in the "terrifying" riot.
A trial at Birmingham Crown Court heard how dozens of Hells Angels and Outlaws, some armed with knives, were involved in the "battle" at the airport.Neil Harrison, 46, Paul Arlett, 35, Mark Price, 50, Sean Timmins, 38, Leonard Hawthorne, 52, Mark Moseley, 46, and Jeremy Ball, 46, all from addresses across the West Midlands, were each jailed for six years by Judge Patrick Thomas in June after being previously convicted by a jury.Price, Harrison, Moseley and Ball were Outlaws, and Arlett, Timmins, and Hawthorne, were Hells Angels, the court heard.An eighth defendant, 47-year-old Mark Larner, of Tudor Road in Upper Gornal, West Midlands, fled to South Africa, but handed himself in in November and was jailed for six years.West Midlands Police said Joseph Lagrue was currently featured on the force's Most Wanted site.

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Lawrence “Butch” Watson, a 23-year-old reputed street gangster, admitting to setting up the 25-year-old Williams

One of the co-defendents in the slaying of aspiring musician Carl Williams pleaded guilty on Monday to murder and robbery. Lawrence “Butch” Watson, a 23-year-old reputed street gangster, admitting to setting up the 25-year-old Williams by luring him to an apartment complex on June 23, where he was robbed and shot dead. Watson also admitted to a gunpoint robbery earlier in the same day at the Horizons Complex. In exchange for the plea, Watson's sentence will be capped at a minimum of 22 years to life in prison. Watson's attorney will be allowed, however, to argue for a range of 20 years to life.

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shortage of guns in Britain is forcing rival gangsters to rent the same weapons

shortage of guns in Britain is forcing rival gangsters to rent the same weapons from middlemen who supply the bad guys, the Mirror reports."We are seeing the same guns being used over and over again," Detective Chief Superintendent Paul James, of the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis), said. Officials credit a clamp-down on suppliers with putting fewer guns on the street, the Mirror reports.

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Georgi Slavov has been admitted for emergency surgery at Plovdiv's University Hospital St George

Georgi Slavov has been admitted for emergency surgery at Plovdiv's University Hospital St George, according to media reports. The duty surgeon has announced that Slavov had suffered a mild skull trauma, but has not specified a reason for the injury.Three security guards are guarding Slavov's room in the neurosurgery ward of the hospital. Access even by his two lawyers has not been permitted.Eyewitnesses have stated that Georgi Slavov was admitted to hospital at 10 pm on Monday evening. According to initial reports, he became unwell while in the 2nd regional police station, where he was under detention.As reported earlier by Novinite.com, prosecutors in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv had laid charges against 26-year-old Georgi Slavov aka Zhoro Glavata ("The Head") and one of his guards, Plamen Ivanov, following a fracas at a night club on Saturday at around midnight.
The son of Stoil Slavov, once a leading member of the notorious SIC group, and who has himself assumed the role of gangster, has been charged with aggravated hooliganism. Bulgarian law allows for up to 5 years' imprisonment for this criminal charge.Moreover, the Plovdiv prosecutors ordered the measure for detention for both "The Head" and his guard to be extended to 72 hours.The incident had occurred when a dispute broke out between Georgi Slavov and his guards, and Vladimir Arabadzhiev, son of local hotelier Vetko Arabadzhiev. In the ensuing melee firearms were used.The incident, which occurred at the "Bedroom" nightclub, did not become serious, with no reports of injury. It has been alleged that the reason for the scandal was playmate Nikoleta Lozanova. She has stated that she had nothing to do with the fight.When questioned by police, Arabadzhiev and Slavov told radically different versions of the incident. Arabadzhiev claimed that he had left the disco before the fight broke out, and did not take part in it. He also said he did not know "The Head".Slavov himself, however, stated that Arabadzhiev, his guards and his friends had started the quarrel, as Vetko Arabadjiev's son had to do some "paying back" since the summer. According to him, the root cause of their conflict is precisely the girlfriend Nikoleta Lozanova, with whom they had both had a relationship, Plovdiv media have reported.

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Nicolo Romeo, 72, who ran an animal feed business, was shot dead

Nicolo Romeo, 72, who ran an animal feed business, was shot dead as he drove in his jeep to one of his plants close to the town of Corleone.home to real mobsters including Bernardo Provenzano, Salvatore Riina and Luciano Leggio. The local clan, the Corleonesi, led the organisation in the Eighties and Nineties and were said to be the most violent and ruthless Mafia group.The Mob's grip loosened on the town following a series of high profile arrests and until Mr Romeo's murder the last violent death was in 1998 when Emmanule Di Maggio, a relative of a supergrass, was killed.Police believe Mr Romeo was killed after he refused to pay protection money, known as the pizzo, to local bosses. His brother Pietro disappeared in 1997.
The name of the animal feed firm, along with the figure €30,000, was written on several notes found at the hideout of godfather Mimmo Raccugliam, who was arrested last year.

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Hells Angels case largest murder trial in Canada's legal history

largest murder trial in Canada's legal history, the prosecution in a Hells Angels case stunned the courtroom when it announced it was willing to try as many as 60 of the 100 suspects at once.All 100 are collectively accused of the deaths of 22 people during the so-called "biker war" of the 1990s. A police raid last spring effectively shut down the Hells Angels in Quebec.Some 130 members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang appeared in court Monday to set trial dates for various drug and murder charges.
The murder case could prove groundbreaking."The courtroom can have 60 people at a time, so it's feasible," said prosecutor Madeleine Giauque.Justice Andre Vincent told lawyers he would give them until April 23 to coordinate their efforts. If the trial is held with 60 defendants, it would likely take a year to prepare, and another year and a half to hear the case before a jury.Defence lawyers say trying 60 suspects at once is unrealistic."I'm anxious about when my clients would have their trials," said defence attorney Claude F. Archambeault."The length of the trial would be unimaginable," added veteran criminal lawyer Claude Girouard.In the last biker-gang-related mega-trial, 17 accused were tried at once before a jury. The mega-trial began in 2002 and was halted that year, but concluded in 2004 with nine members of Hells Angels and another biker gang convicted of 26 counts of gangsterism, drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit murder.

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Captured Teodoro Garcia Simental AKA El Teo or Tres Letras

Mexican authorities early this morning captured Teodoro Garcia Simental, the reputed leader of a brutal criminal gang operating in Baja California that has been fighting for control of the region, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed.Garcia, known as El Teo or Tres Letras, was taken into custody at 5 a.m. in the Baja California Sur capital of La Paz, said Amy Roderick, San Diego spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.Mexican authorities have not yet confirmed the detention, and the precise circumstances of the detention have not been made clear.Garcia is a former member of the Tijuana-based Arellano Félix drug cartel whose break from the organization has led to months of bloody power struggles between the two groups. Garcia’s gang is also believed to be responsible for numerous kidnappings.

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heavy blow to the Mafia on Tuesday by arresting 17 suspects

Italian police dealt a heavy blow to the Mafia on Tuesday by arresting 17 suspects linked to powerful clans of the Calabria southern region, according to ANSA news agency. They were caught in the northern town of Bologna, a proof of the Mafia's rapid expansion all over the country. Some of the people arrested on Tuesday belonged to the mighty clan of the Pesce-Bellocco, one of three Mafia families who share control of illegal activities at the large container port in Gioia Tauro. The clan is also alleged to have secured lucrative infrastructure projects dogged by mafia probes. The ringleader Carmello Bellocco, 53, was serving out a 17-yearsentence for racketeering. Bellocco is accused of heading up the group's activities while on day-leave from prison. Prosecutor Michele Prestipinio, who led the investigation, described the arrested as "dangerous people with huge amounts of cash and very big plans." Millions of euros in assets, including a number of supermarkets, were seized during the operation. The clan's base is in the town of Rosarno, where racial riots broke out last week between town residents and immigrant day laborers. Local Mafia, called "Ndrangheta," is suspected of involvement in the migrant labor exploitation as well as the in anti-immigrant violence which ensued after the riots. An inquiry has been launched to ascertain eventual Mafia connections. Mafia clans are spreading their drug and arms trafficking activities not only in Italy but on a world-wide scale. Italy has lately been rocked by an upheaval in local criminality, with several failed bombings. Last week top anti-Mafia prosecutor PieroGrasso warned that the country was facing a new "Mafia campaign" and called for intensified investigations and assets seizure.

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The Cartel skinned Hugo Hernandez’s face and stitched it onto a football.

28-year-old reporter was shot to death, and his body was dumped outside the Marbella Motel.The body of 36-year-old Hugo Hernandez was left on the streets of Los Mochis in seven pieces as a chilling threat to members of the Juarez drug cartel. A note read: “Happy New Year, because this will be your last.”To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez’s face and stitched it onto a football.
The gruesome find, confirmed Friday by Sinaloa state prosecutors, represents a new level of brutality in Mexico’s drug war, in which torture and beheadings are almost daily occurrences.Hernandez was taken to Sinaloa after being kidnapped Jan. 2 in neighbouring Sonora state, in an area known for marijuana growing, said Martin Robles, a spokesman for Sinaloa prosecutors. The motive for his abduction was unclear.His torso was found in a plastic container in one location; elsewhere another box contained his arms, legs and skull, Robles said. Hernandez’s face, sewn onto a football, was left in a plastic bag near City Hall.More than 15,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown on cartels three years ago. While the border cities of Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana have seen much of the violence, Sinaloa state is Mexico’s drug-smuggling heartland and is the birthplace of the leadership of four of the six major cartels.
Often, victims are tortured and mutilated, in an attempt to intimidate rivals, officials and others who might represent a threat to the cartels.Often, it works.In the northern city of Saltillo, a major regional newspaper announced it would stop covering drug violence altogether after the body of a reporter was found Friday outside a motel with a threatening message. Valentin Valdes had recently written about the arrests of suspected drug traffickers.“As of today we will publish zero information related to drug trafficking to avoid situations like the one we went through today,” an editor of the newspaper Zocalo told The Associated Press. Tellingly, he asked that his name not be published.
Many Mexican news media have stopped covering anything that might be associated with drugs, or limit themselves to reporting on government news releases. At least 17 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 1992 in direct reprisal for stories, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.Valdes had written about the Dec. 29 arrests at the Marbella Motel of five alleged members of the Gulf drug cartel. He also covered the arrests Wednesday of five others who barged into the same hotel and stole the surveillance tapes.The 28-year-old reporter was shot to death, and his body was dumped outside the Marbella Motel.The Coahuila state Attorney General’s Office said a handwritten message left next to his body read: “This is going to happen to everybody who doesn’t understand, the message is for everybody.”Such threatening messages are frequently left by Mexican drug cartels.The influence of cartels has increased to such an extent that on Friday all 60 policemen in the embattled town of Tancitaro were fired because they had failed to stop a series of killings and other crimes. Michoacan state police and soldiers will take over security duties in the town.In December, eight government officials including the mayor of Tancitaro resigned their posts saying they had been threatened by drug traffickers.The town is in a drug-plagued area and in March the top city council member, Gonzalo Paz, was kidnapped, tortured and killed.Still, one Mexican official said progress was being made.Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, said that “we have begun to see important results in the ability of U.S. government to detain the flows” of drug-related weapons and cash into Mexico over the two countries’ border.

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Glasgow firm Spyguard's general manager Gavin Scott, 64, and directors Paddy Dyer, 44, and Gary Fitzpatrick, 46, have all had their licences removed.

GANGLAND security firms are on the run after police chiefs started sharing secret files with industry watchdogs, we can reveal today.Strathclyde Police are handing over intelligence on rogue firms to the Security Industry Authority (SIA) - leading to dozens of people losing their licences because of underworld links.One company have already lost their SIA approved contractor status.One security source said: "The SIA have failed to clean up the industry partly because it hasn't got enough power."It's fantastic the police are now sharing what they know about these people. If that continues, it could make a real difference."Glasgow firm Spyguard's general manager Gavin Scott, 64, and directors Paddy Dyer, 44, and Gary Fitzpatrick, 46, have all had their licences removed.The SIA acted after police told them how the firm used intimidation to win contracts.Former Army sergeant and weapons instructor Scott unsucessfully appealed against losing his licence at Glasgow Sheriff Court.In a written judgement, Sheriff John Brown said: "Such information, in my view, entitles the SIA to take the action they have to suspend the licence in the public interest."Scott, from Yoker, Glasgow, said he had no idea if his employers were involved in organised crime.He added: "I'm being punished not for who I am but for who the police say I work for. Does anyone know who they work for? "I earn £300 a week as a supervisor. Does that sound like someone who is a bigtime crook? I was 22 years in the Gordon Highlanders. I have no criminal record yet am being treated like one."It seems everyone is being tarred with the same brush."
Others who have had their licences revoked include gangster Eli Webb, 44, who has walked free on five attempted murder charges.He lost his licence a week after the it was revealed he was linked to "roll wars" - in which bakery firms were targeted in a campaign of intimidation.An industry source said: "It's incredible that someone like Webb was even licensed in the first place."Barry Dempster - a 29-year-old tanning salon boss linked to Pegasus Security - has also lost his licence. He is the son of underworld figure Bobby 'The Devil' Dempster. Boss Stephen Palombo, 41, had won approved contractor status for his firm X714 by convincing the SIA they were legitimate.But X714 were stripped of the status because of their links to Willie Bennett, 50, an associate of the Daniel crime clan.Palombo, who also runs a drug-testing business for employers, was unavailable last night. A spokeswoman said: "He's out the country and X714 is no longer in business. I don't know the name Willie Bennett."The SIA also moved to end Motherwellbased Izon Security's approved contractor status over alleged links to drug dealer Thomas Allan, 50.But the firm successfully challenged the move at Hamilton Sheriff Court.A police source said: "We can now spell out in detail the connections between criminals in the background and the people fronting and running the firms."That allows the SIA to review the suitability of individual licence holders and any firms who have gained approved contractor status. There's a lot more to come."Those stripped of their licences are now barred by law from working in security.Lawyer Jim Kelly said he planned a second appeal on Scott's behalf.He added: "I believe that the police and the SIA are acting illegally in the way they target people they suspect are involved in crime."If people pass all the tests laid down by the SIA, then they should be allowed to hold a licence."

The SIA said: "We can suspend a licence if we think there is a risk to the public."

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Salford gangster David Cullen, 29, lavished thousands of pounds on homes, cars and jewellery

armed robber was found to be living a life of luxury to rival Premier league footballers after he was caught carrying out a bank raid.Salford gangster David Cullen, 29, lavished thousands of pounds on homes, cars and jewellery for himself and his family, a police investigation discovered.Among the luxury items he bought during a three year spending spree were a £30,000 Franck Muller watch and a Harley Davidson 4x4 truck imported from the United States.He also shared his fortune with his mother, brothers and girlfriend, treating them to cars and foreign holidays, despite having no obvious source of income.But the high life came to an end when Cullen was caught carrying out a terrifying bank robbery in Preston in April 2006.
His gang, armed with a sledgehammer and two loaded guns, stole £136,000 from a Lloyds TSB branch but were arrested soon afterwards.Cullen is now serving ten years for his part in the robbery but police were suspicious about how he had funded his luxury lifestyle and launched a separate investigation into his finances.They found that in the the three years leading up to the Preston robbery Cullen splashed out:
A £40,000 deposit on a plush new semi in leafy Prestwich.£27,000 in cash to refurbish the house.£20,000 on a Harley Davidson 4x4 truck imported from the US.
A £30,000 Franck Muller watch.A £76,000 a holiday home in Florida.A fleet of cars, paying in cash for a £28,000 VW Toureg, a £6,000 Fiat Stilo (for his girlfriend), a £25,000 7 series BMW, a £21,000 Porsche 911 and also £8,000 on a Vauxhall Vectra.
A £3,000 insurance bill for the BMW was paid in full up frontExpensive holidays to Spain and Dubai for him and his girlfriend.An £80,000 deposit when he moved to a bigger house in Swinton.The spending spree began in 2003, shortly after Cullen was found not guilty of a £302,000 bank robbery in Bolton.Cullen, formerly of Heaton Street, Salford, has now pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to defraud, effectively admitting that he funded his extravagant purchases from the proceeds of crime. He could be given an extended prison sentence on top of the ten years he is serving when he is sentenced in the next few weeks.His mother, girlfriend and two brothers will also be sentenced after they pleaded guilty to a string of offences.Cullen's girlfriend, Natasha Smyth, 27, of Harbourne Avenue, Worsley, admitted benefits fraud and money laundering.Cullen's older brother Anthony Cullen, a former footballer known as Tony, 36, of Myrtle Grove, Whitefield, worked as a loan shark as well as helping his brother hide and spend the dirty cash. He admitted housing benefit fraud, conspiracy to defraud and also operating as an unlicensed money lender.David Cullen's younger brother, joiner Arron Cullen, 27, of Rydal Grove, Prestwich, admitted money laundering by acting as a front through which David bought and sold the Prestwich and Swinton houses.David's mother, Bernadette Cullen, created a false identity to buy two homes she owned in Salford and Prestwich, and then used her real name to sponge off the state by claiming she was a tenant. She falsely claimed housing and council tax benefits worth around £23,000.
Bernadette Cullen, 55, of Heaton Street, Salford, admitted conspiracy to defraud, two charges of dishonestly making false statements and converting or concealing criminal property by buying and then selling a £76,000 holiday home in Florida with David's money.Det Sgt John Mulvihill said: "This has been a long and complex investigation into David Cullen and his family. The investigation has untangled criminality going back to the 1990's. David Cullen is a professional armed robber and his greed and extravagant lifestyle was the downfall for his family. Cullen's ability to live cash rich and his determination to remain invisible to the authorities led to the investigation into the wider family unit."Evidence revealed that not only did family members assist him with laundering the proceeds of his criminality but they also had criminal enterprises of their own."His mother's business was benefit fraud and his elder brother Anthony earned his crust through benefit fraud and loan sharking."Greater Manchester Police are committed to bringing to justice families that are willing to assist in the laundering of criminal property. This investigation uncovered the lengths that certain individuals will go to in order to conceal their proceeds of crime but it also showed the lengths that GMP will go to by working in partnership with local authorities to expose, pursue and prosecute those who are willing to enjoy the benefits of a lavish lifestyle financed by crime. This is what the public of Greater Manchester wants and expects."
In July, the M.E.N. reported how another Salford family was also hauled before the courts for enjoying the criminal earnings of robber Peter Anderson, who was in Cullen's gang which raided the Preston bank. Anderson's girlfriend Danielle Bardsley was given a suspended jail sentence for living the high life on her boyfriend's ill-gotten gains.

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Two men were had been involved in a shootout are dead

Two men were had been involved in a shootout are dead after two shootings early Sunday morning.Around 1 a.m. Sunday, Mesa police responded to the 300 block of S. Stapley on reports of a shots fired.One man was found dead. According to witnesses, two men got into a fight at a party and starting firing on each other.The second man who was involved was later found about a mile away in his car. He was also dead of a gunshot wound.Police believe the two deaths are connected, based on witness statements. They are trying to determine if the shootings were gang-related, and confirm whether or not the second shooting was retaliation for the first.
The investigation is continuing. The victims have not yet been identified.

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Gangland killings two men were shot dead last night in an attack at a flats complex in Dublin’s south inner city

two men were shot dead last night in an attack at a flats complex in Dublin’s south inner city.The shootings, which brought to three the number of people murdered in gangland attacks at the weekend, took place just before 7pm at a flat in Pearse House, off Pearse Street. The two victims were middle-aged men.Only one of the men is believed to have been the killers’ target. Garda sources said the other man appears to have had the misfortune of being with the target when the gunmen struck.
Last night’s double killing followed the discovery on Saturday of the remains of drug dealer John Paul Joyce (30), Coolock, Dublin. He had been shot in the head and his body dumped in a ditch at the back of Dublin airport.Gardaí do not believe the killing of Joyce and the murder of the two men last night are linked by motive.However, the suspects for the Joyce killing are a drugs gang from Finglas, Dublin, and the same gang are the chief suspects for last night’s double killing in Pearse Street.Gardaí were last night questioning three men and a woman about the Pearse Street killings. Two were arrested in the south inner city, while another two were held in Finglas.Three of those being held are in their 20s, while one of the men is in his 40s. They are being detained under Section 50 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to seven days without charge.Garda sources have told The Irish Times that Saturday’s victim John Paul Joyce had links to the Finglas gang and was most likely killed by them after being abducted last Thursday. The killing was drug related.One of the men shot dead last night in Pearse House had recently been in dispute with the Finglas gang over a shooting 18 months ago and this row is being examined as a motive for last night’s double murder.Gardaí were alerted to last night’s attack when residents of Pearse House heard a number of shots at 6.50pm and rang the emergency services.When gardaí and an ambulance crew arrived at the scene, they discovered the two victims with gunshot wounds.One of the men was taken by ambulance to St James’s Hospital. He had been shot in the head. He was pronounced dead a short time after arriving at the hospital.The other man suffered wounds to the chest and was taken by ambulance to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The scene of the shooting was sealed off overnight and will today undergo a forensic examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. Postmortems will also be carried out.One of the men lived at the flat where the double murder took place. The other victim was visiting the flat.Gardaí believe at least two men were involved in the murder and had placed their target under close surveillance in the period leading up to attack.
There was a heavy Garda presence in Pearse House as the investigating team started door-to-door inquiries and took the names of everybody entering and leaving the complex.The gang suspected of last night’s double murder and the fatal shooting of John Paul Joyce was once led by leading gangster Martin “Marlo” Hyland. However, since his murder three years ago, another Finglas armed robber and drug dealer has assumed control of the faction.A Garda source stressed that while the Finglas gang was being linked to the three most recent murders, the investigations into those killings are at an early stage.However, if the Garda investigations establish a link between the gang and the three killings, the weekend murders will bring to 15 the number of the fatal shootings the gang is suspected of.Two of the victims were shot dead by the gang in another double murder, in Summerhill in Dublin’s north inner city on January 7th last year.

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Anchorage police officer was shot as many as five times

Anchorage police officer who was shot as many as five times over the weekend, a police spokesman said Sunday as detectives chased leads on his attackers.No arrests have been made in what police are calling an ambush on 47-year-old Officer Jason Allen on Saturday in Fairview.Police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said Allen's wife "said he was still in quite a bit of pain, but he's able to respond and talk to people and talk to his family."A dark-colored sedan pulled up alongside Allen's patrol car just before 2 a.m. on Medfra Street, between 14th and 15th avenues, according to police. A man opened fire with what appeared to be a handgun, police say. Allen's bulletproof vest stopped at least some of the shots, Parker said.
Detectives worked on the case in shifts on Saturday, interviewing witnesses and canvassing the neighborhood. On Sunday, homicide and robbery and assault investigators were following leads and looking for additional tips -- no matter how small -- from the public, Parker said.Police are putting extra effort into finding the attacker or attackers given the brazen nature of the shooting, Parker said. "He's bold enough to shoot a police officer, who he knows is armed, in ambush.
Allen was about three hours into his shift at the time of the shooting, Parker said. The officer had spent roughly 45 minutes at a nearby home on an unrelated call, according to a neighbor. Police don't believe the shooting was connected to anything that happened earlier in the shift, Parker said.The surprise attack on Allen follows a string of police officers killed in western Washington since Oct. 31. Five Anchorage Police Department employees had recently attended a funeral for some of the slain officers and were briefed on how the Washington cases were solved, Parker said. At a Saturday news conference, Lt. Dave Koch said video evidence played a role in solving the Halloween attack, noting police are also reviewing video related to the Fairview shooting. Police have declined to say where the footage comes from.
Authorities suspect the Washington state shootings on Oct. 31 and Nov. 29 were each committed by single gunmen. The first, Christopher Monfort, is facing murder and attempted-murder charges and has been accused by prosecutors of waging a "one-man war" against police, according to The Associated Press.The other, Maurice Clemmons, is dead. A Seattle police officer shot him two days after Clemmons gunned down four Lakewood officers in a coffee shop.Koch said Allen appeared to be targeted because he was a police officer.After the shooting, Medfra Street residents wondered if the attack was somehow gang-related. "That will be something that will certainly be part of the investigation, but we don't know yet," Parker said. Sharon Chamard is the Fairview Community Council president and an associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center. When she's not teaching classes to aspiring police officers and lawyers, she sometimes drives the neighborhood as part of the local community patrol.While Chamard used to say Anchorage didn't have a gang problem, she's not so sure about that now.Still, she said she hasn't seen signs of gang activity in Fairview, where Medfra is one of the main arteries for pedestrians and cars. "I think of Fairview as generally quite a safe neighborhood," Chamard said.
Sgt. Denny Allen, no relation, supervises the Community Action Policing Team, which has been working with community leaders to try to improve Spenard and Fairview. "We're going to be really hitting the street and see if we can dig up some leads on this," he said.He's baffled by the motive, which could be anything from a copycat shooter to gang activity to retribution, Allen said.

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Johnathan Lawrence was died instantly when he was shot in the head.

Johnathan Lawrence was died instantly when he was shot in the head.
Today Ricky Johnson went back to the spot where Lawrence fell."He had a good spirit and he was a good hearted type of guy," says Johnson.Chattanooga police say his heart stopped when a fight between two men got out of control. Detectives say a man named Anthony Russell threw a bottle at Montez Davis' car. Davis circled around the parking lot, started shooting at Russel but hit Lawrence instead.Police say after that Davis, drove a block away to his house on Tunnel Boulevard. That's when someone, drove by and started shooting at the home. And police say Davis and people inside started shooting back.While police were investigating these two shootings...another person was shot close by."During that process a lady who was driving down the street was shot as she drove North on Tunnel Boulevard," says Jerri Weary, Spokesperson for Chattanooga Police.Davis is now charged with first degree murder, reckless endangerment, and felony possession of a weapon.

"He is a validated gang member but we dont know if this was gang related as of yet," says Weary.

Several people tell us Johnathan Lawrence was turning his life around to become a devoted church member and father.
Now at 42 years old, he's dead and will never get that chance."Somebody has to step up and do something because its happeneing too often we can sit around and say you hear about so and so getting killed but what have we done to make a difference," says Johnson.Right now police are still looking for the person who shot the second victim in the hand. They haven't figured out whether it's related to the shooting killing Lawrence. Detectives say more arrests are likely.

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Invited 50 known gang members, both Norteños and Sureños, to attend two Ceasefire call-ins

Invited 50 known gang members, both Norteños and Sureños, to attend two Ceasefire call-ins scheduled this month, Deputy Chief Kelly McMillin announced Monday.

"They are probationers, parolees, two-strikers, very high-risk individuals who are in our community," McMillin said.
Ceasefire aims to reduce gang violence by giving gang members an ultimatum to give up their criminal ways or face prosecution and hard time. Those taking part in the program are offered employment opportunities and training.
"It's not going to stop violence tomorrow," McMillin said. "The evidence says that we should see, in relatively short order, some reduction in violence."
He said violent crime has dropped by 30 to 70 percent in other places that have adopted the Ceasefire program.
Sgt. Sheldon Bryan said police have a list of up to 160 gang members who would qualify to take part.
"We'll eventually go through the entire list," he said. About 20 to 25 people are expected to participate in each call-in.
The call-ins are not open to public, he said.
Participants will hear from several officials, including CalStar pilots, medical workers, social workers and clergy.
The Ceasefire program is paid for in part by a $357,021 matching grant from the state. The money is part of $9.2 million in anti-gang-related funding announced by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in March.
Salinas was one of five cities chosen for the new state initiative, which is based on a program created in Boston in 1993 and since adopted by other cities.

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Mario Chingo,alleged MS-13 gang member is charged with stabbing a rival 18th Street gang member

alleged MS-13 gang member is charged with stabbing a rival 18th Street gang member during an early-morning fight Sunday in the South End.Mario Chingo, 23, of 92 Nelson St., was arraigned Monday in New Bedford District Court on assault and robbery charges.Chingo, a reputed MS-13 gang member, is accused of trying to rob Carlos P. Benito, 32, outside the Escondinho Bar at 110 County St. just after 1 p.m. Sunday. Benito told police that Chingo stabbed him in the chest and leg after trying to rob him, court records said.New Bedford police were interviewing Benito at St. Luke's Hospital when Chingo arrived in the emergency room with a cut on his left hand, court records said.Chingo told police that Benito was an 18th Street gang member and that Benito attacked him first. Chingo said Benito slashed him in the face with a knife after approaching him outside the bar. Chingo had a superficial laceration on his face, court records said.Based on Chingo's statements, New Bedford police obtained an application for criminal complaint seeking assault charges on Benito, court records said.Chingo is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed assault to rob. Judge Bernadette Sabra released him Monday on personal recognizance

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Arrested Prentiss Earl Jackson, 18, of Orlando, who goes by the nickname "Dollar."

Arrested Prentiss Earl Jackson, 18, of Orlando, who goes by the nickname "Dollar." He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated battery and aggravated assault.The motive for the slayings appears to be gang-related and might have involved drugs or even a possible hit, Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee said at a news conference Monday."This is probably one of the most confusing and convoluted stories I've ever come across," Gee said.
Among the evidence that suggests a gang connection: letters that had been mailed to the Oakwood Avenue home from certified gang members. Included in those letters, Gee said, were Bloods gang bylaws that "identified rules if you were a member of the gang."Deputies are still searching for the man they say stabbed the incident's lone survivor. Deputies issued a warrant last week for Esteban Merchan, 19, on a charge of aggravated battery in the attack of Ralph Arroyo, 21.Investigators say Jackson, Merchan and three other people drove west on Interstate 4 in a red Mercury Cougar, stopping to buy gloves and other items to disguise themselves. They arrived at the Oakwood Avenue home about midnight Dec. 28 for a prearranged meeting. Fifteen minutes later, the first shots rang out.Prentiss Jackson, 18, was being held in the Osceola County jail on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated assault, according to jail records. Jackson was wanted in the Dec. 29 shooting and stabbing in a Brandon-area backyard.Hillsborough residents Rafael Guadalupe, 21, Tony Black, 22, and Vincent Thomas, 22, were found dead in the Oakwood Avenue South attack.Ralph Arroyo, 21, was stabbed but survived. Three people were killed and another was injured in the shooting and stabbing.
Hillsborough County deputies were called to the house shortly after midnight, when one of Thomas' relatives heard shots and called authorities.Witnesses said several suspects approached the victims in the backyard, argued with people there, then attacked. Thomas and Black were fatally shot. Guadalupe was stabbed.The suspects fled northbound in a red Ford Mustang, which was later recovered by Orange County deputies.Esteban Merchan, 19, of Kissimmee, is being sought in the attack. He is described as between 160 and 170 pounds with brown eyes and short black hair. Investigators think he is a member of the Bloods street gang.Merchan is possibly driving a four-door, 2009 silver Toyota Prius. Its tag number is V808SD.
Merchan faces a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office news release. Investigators think he attacked the surviving victim.Jackson was arrested Friday by Osceola County deputy sheriffs, according to jail records.
Arroyo was in a car at the scene. Jackson ordered Arroyo out of the car at gunpoint, and Arroyo suffered a superficial stab wound to the head before he escaped by running into the woods, Gee said.
Merchan likely fled to New York, where he has friends. He is a member of the Bloods, the same gang as 22-year-old victim Tony Black, the sheriff's office said. Vincent Thomas, 22, and Rafael G. Guadalupe, 21, also died in the attack at 507 S. Oakwood Ave.The three others in the Mercury have been identified, but Gee wouldn't disclose their names. He did not identify the trio as suspects or witnesses.
Someone stabbed Guadalupe in the back yard "multiple, multiple times," killing him, Gee said.Merchan, whose last known address was in Kissimmee, is Hispanic, 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 160 to 170 pounds. He has short black hair and brown eyes. The sheriff's office said he may be driving a 2009 silver, four-door Toyota Prius with the license number V808SD.Thomas lived at the home with his wife and two children. Friends of Thomas say they don't think he was affiliated with gangs. He was a school bus driver for Armwood High School

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Eleven persons died by the gun, including three by police bullets, in the first two days of the New Year

Eleven persons died by the gun, including three by police bullets, in the first two days of the New Year, as the Grim Reaper set a blistering start to 2010.Although Sunday was relatively calm up to the Observer’s press time last night, the 11 deaths had already surpassed the six reported in the first three days of 2009, based on police reports.The latest murder is that of 44-year-old taxi driver, Norris Williams of Birdsucker Lane, in St Andrew, whom police say was operating his Toyota Corolla motor car about 9.23 pm in the Pinkneys Green community, when explosions were heard and a man seen running from the vehicle.Residents found Williams’ body slumped over the steering wheel. The police were summoned and processed the crime scene before removing Williams’ body to the morgue.Thirty minutes before that incident, homicide investigators were called to the scene in Waterford, St Catherine where the body of an unidentified woman was found.Police responding to a call from residents who heard explosions, found the woman’s lifeless body with several bullet wounds.The woman is believed to be about 27 years old, of brown complexion, medium build and about five feet six inches tall.Her body was clad in blue jeans, floral blouse and orange slippers.Dave Henry was at his home on Saturday in the hotbed community of Norwood in St James when he was attacked and peppered with bullets. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.Joel Johnson, who lived in Pleasant Hill, St Mary, was murdered about 2am on Saturday at Lissant Road in Kingston. Police were again summoned to the community after residents reported hearing explosions. Johnson’s body was found on the road with several gunshot wounds. He died on the spot.
Head of Operations in the Constabulary, Glenmore Hinds told the Observer that the Police High Command had launched an investigation into all aspects of the recent Black and White Party which was held at the National Arena on New Year’s Eve and ended in the death of 31-year-old Patrick McDonald.McDonald, also called ‘Kingman’, of Brooklyn Avenue, Cromarty, St Catherine, was shot four times in the head as he attempted to leave the popular dance.Reports are that he had a tiff with other patrons earlier and was targeted as he left. Police say McDonald was a major player in the ‘Lynch Mob’ gang which has been creating havoc in sections of St Catherine. He was also wanted in connection with several shooting incidents involving the police in that parish.Michael Thomas, 29, of Comfort in Manchester is also listed among the New Year’s weekend dead. Thomas was involved in a dispute with a group of men on New Year’s morning. The men drew guns and shot him. He was taken to the Mandeville Regional Hospital where medical staff pronounced him dead.

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Western Cape police three adults were shot in a gang-related incident

Two minors and three adults were shot in a gang-related incident over the weekend, Western Cape police said on Monday.Mfuleni police spokesperson Captain Nomathemba Muavha said two members of the "26" gang went to the house of a member of the "28" gang on Friday, and shooting broke out."They shot a 17-year-old boy in the left side of the chest, a 15-year-old girl - who was outside the house - behind the ear and a lady who was trying to get the children into the house in the leg," said Muavha.The gangsters then ran to Kabega Street where they shot (in the back) a man who police suspected was a friend of members of the "28" gang.

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Carlos Beltran Leyva was arrested in the Pacific coast state Sinaloa

Carlos Beltran Leyva was arrested in the Pacific coast state Sinaloa, where he and several of his brothers were born and allegedly started their gang. A judge ordered him held for at least 40 days while officials investigate possible charges of organized crime, the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Sunday.His capture came just two weeks after his brother Arturo, known as “the boss of bosses” of the cartel, was killed in a shootout with marines at a luxury apartment in the city of Cuernavaca.Carlos Beltran’s arrest gave Calderon back-to-back victories in the drug war and underscored the government’s determination to destroy the cartel despite the threat of reprisal attacks. Days after Arturo Beltran was killed, gunmen massacred the mother and three other relatives of the only marine who died in the Dec. 16 shootout in Cuernavaca.Calderon vowed he would not be intimidated. However, authorities were far quieter in announcing Carlos Beltran’s capture, waiting three days to make the arrest public in a terse statement Saturday night.
A third brother, Alfredo, was arrested in January 2008. At least one other Beltran Leyva brother, who officials say could be named Mario or Hector, remains at large. He is listed as one of Mexico’s 24 most-wanted drug lords, with a $2 million reward offered for his capture.The downfall of Beltran Levya brothers comes a year after a sweeping corruption probe led to the arrest of a dozen high-ranking Mexican officials accused of collaborating with the cartel. They included Mexico’s former drug czar Noe Ramirez, who allegedly received $450,000 a month from Arturo Beltran in exchange for sensitive information.

“The long suit of the Beltran Leyva was in intelligence, and they had lots of contacts with the intelligence officials,” said George W. Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. “They got the big shots … who were on the take from the Beltran Leyva family, and that really was their strength.”

Mexican officials in the past have described Carlos Beltran Levya, 40, as a key member of the gang, but he is not on the government’s most-wanted list and prosecutors have not revealed any significant current indictments against him.“He’s the lowest profile of the brothers,” Grayson said. “The scuttlebutt is that Hector, who is still at large, is really the brains behind the outfit.”Chance and Mexico’s intelligence system appeared to have led to Beltran Leyva’s capture.
The Attorney General’s Office said a citizen tipped authorities to the presence of an armed man in the Canadas neighborhood of Culiacan. Beltran Leyva gave federal police a driver’s license that identified him as Carlos Gamez Orpineda, but when the police ran the document by Mexico’s Center of Intelligence they learned it was false.
He later acknowledged he was Arturo Beltran Leyva’s brother, the Public Safety Department said. Police said he was found with two guns and ammunition.The Beltran Leyva brothers allegedly worked side by side with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, before breaking away in recent years and seizing lucrative drug routes in northeastern Mexico.While a victory for the government, the success against the Beltran Leyva brothers could empower the Sinaloa cartel and other rival gangs, Grayson said.The Beltran Leyvas had increasingly relied for protection on the Zetas, a gang led by former soldiers-turned-hit men who also work with the Gulf cartel, he said.“The Zetas may now move against the Beltran Leyva and take them over, saying, ‘You are now taking orders from us, or we’ll kill you,’” Grayson said. “The good news is you’ve got a bad guy behind bars. The bad news is that this may enhance the Zetas.”That possibility raises fears of even bloodier turf battles in a drug war that has already claimed more than 15,000 lives since Calderon took office in 2006.In a possible sign of that fight, the bound, beaten bodies of two men were found Wednesday hanging by their necks from a highway overpass in the Sinaloa town of Los Mochis.Nearby, a message was written on a piece of cardboard: “This territory already has an owner.” The message appeared to be from the Beltran Leyva cartel.Authorities have blamed the Zetas for killing the marine’s relatives in retaliation for Arturo Beltran’s death.On Sunday, prosecutors in eastern Tabasco state, where the family was killed, announced the capture of three suspected Zetas who allegedly acted as lookouts during the attack. Four other alleged Zetas accused of playing secondary roles were arrested last week, but the killers remain at large
,capture of a reputed kingpin following the death of his brother has knocked out most of a brutal drug trafficking dynasty after a Mexican crackdown on corruption stripped the Beltran Leyva cartel of many snitches within security forces.Carlos Beltran Leyva was arrested in the Pacific coast state Sinaloa, where he and several of his brothers were born and allegedly started their gang. A judge ordered him held for at least 40 days while officials investigate possible charges of organized crime, the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Sunday.His capture came just two weeks after his brother Arturo, known as “the boss of bosses” of the cartel, was killed in a shootout with marines at a luxury apartment in the city of Cuernavaca.Carlos Beltran’s arrest gave Calderon back-to-back victories in the drug war and underscored the government’s determination to destroy the cartel despite the threat of reprisal attacks. Days after Arturo Beltran was killed, gunmen massacred the mother and three other relatives of the only marine who died in the Dec. 16 shootout in Cuernavaca.Calderon vowed he would not be intimidated. However, authorities were far quieter in announcing Carlos Beltran’s capture, waiting three days to make the arrest public in a terse statement Saturday night.A third brother, Alfredo, was arrested in January 2008. At least one other Beltran Leyva brother, who officials say could be named Mario or Hector, remains at large. He is listed as one of Mexico’s 24 most-wanted drug lords, with a $2 million reward offered for his capture.The downfall of Beltran Levya brothers comes a year after a sweeping corruption probe led to the arrest of a dozen high-ranking Mexican officials accused of collaborating with the cartel. They included Mexico’s former drug czar Noe Ramirez, who allegedly received $450,000 a month from Arturo Beltran in exchange for sensitive information.
“The long suit of the Beltran Leyva was in intelligence, and they had lots of contacts with the intelligence officials,” said George W. Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. “They got the big shots … who were on the take from the Beltran Leyva family, and that really was their strength.”Mexican officials in the past have described Carlos Beltran Levya, 40, as a key member of the gang, but he is not on the government’s most-wanted list and prosecutors have not revealed any significant current indictments against him.

“He’s the lowest profile of the brothers,” Grayson said. “The scuttlebutt is that Hector, who is still at large, is really the brains behind the outfit.”Chance and Mexico’s intelligence system appeared to have led to Beltran Leyva’s capture.
The Attorney General’s Office said a citizen tipped authorities to the presence of an armed man in the Canadas neighborhood of Culiacan. Beltran Leyva gave federal police a driver’s license that identified him as Carlos Gamez Orpineda, but when the police ran the document by Mexico’s Center of Intelligence they learned it was false.
He later acknowledged he was Arturo Beltran Leyva’s brother, the Public Safety Department said. Police said he was found with two guns and ammunition.The Beltran Leyva brothers allegedly worked side by side with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, before breaking away in recent years and seizing lucrative drug routes in northeastern Mexico.While a victory for the government, the success against the Beltran Leyva brothers could empower the Sinaloa cartel and other rival gangs, Grayson said.The Beltran Leyvas had increasingly relied for protection on the Zetas, a gang led by former soldiers-turned-hit men who also work with the Gulf cartel, he said.“The Zetas may now move against the Beltran Leyva and take them over, saying, ‘You are now taking orders from us, or we’ll kill you,’” Grayson said. “The good news is you’ve got a bad guy behind bars. The bad news is that this may enhance the Zetas.”That possibility raises fears of even bloodier turf battles in a drug war that has already claimed more than 15,000 lives since Calderon took office in 2006.In a possible sign of that fight, the bound, beaten bodies of two men were found Wednesday hanging by their necks from a highway overpass in the Sinaloa town of Los Mochis.Nearby, a message was written on a piece of cardboard:

“This territory already has an owner.”

The message appeared to be from the Beltran Leyva cartel.Authorities have blamed the Zetas for killing the marine’s relatives in retaliation for Arturo Beltran’s death.On Sunday, prosecutors in eastern Tabasco state, where the family was killed, announced the capture of three suspected Zetas who allegedly acted as lookouts during the attack. Four other alleged Zetas accused of playing secondary roles were arrested last week, but the killers remain at large
where he and several of his brothers were born and allegedly started their gang. A judge ordered him held for at least 40 days while officials investigate possible charges of organized crime, the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Sunday.

His capture came just two weeks after his brother Arturo, known as “the boss of bosses” of the cartel, was killed in a shootout with marines at a luxury apartment in the city of Cuernavaca.

Carlos Beltran’s arrest gave Calderon back-to-back victories in the drug war and underscored the government’s determination to destroy the cartel despite the threat of reprisal attacks. Days after Arturo Beltran was killed, gunmen massacred the mother and three other relatives of the only marine who died in the Dec. 16 shootout in Cuernavaca.

Calderon vowed he would not be intimidated. However, authorities were far quieter in announcing Carlos Beltran’s capture, waiting three days to make the arrest public in a terse statement Saturday night.

A third brother, Alfredo, was arrested in January 2008. At least one other Beltran Leyva brother, who officials say could be named Mario or Hector, remains at large. He is listed as one of Mexico’s 24 most-wanted drug lords, with a $2 million reward offered for his capture.
The downfall of Beltran Levya brothers comes a year after a sweeping corruption probe led to the arrest of a dozen high-ranking Mexican officials accused of collaborating with the cartel. They included Mexico’s former drug czar Noe Ramirez, who allegedly received $450,000 a month from Arturo Beltran in exchange for sensitive information.“The long suit of the Beltran Leyva was in intelligence, and they had lots of contacts with the intelligence officials,” said George W. Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. “They got the big shots … who were on the take from the Beltran Leyva family, and that really was their strength.”Mexican officials in the past have described Carlos Beltran Levya, 40, as a key member of the gang, but he is not on the government’s most-wanted list and prosecutors have not revealed any significant current indictments against him.
“He’s the lowest profile of the brothers,” Grayson said. “The scuttlebutt is that Hector, who is still at large, is really the brains behind the outfit.”
Chance and Mexico’s intelligence system appeared to have led to Beltran Leyva’s capture.The Attorney General’s Office said a citizen tipped authorities to the presence of an armed man in the Canadas neighborhood of Culiacan. Beltran Leyva gave federal police a driver’s license that identified him as Carlos Gamez Orpineda, but when the police ran the document by Mexico’s Center of Intelligence they learned it was false.
He later acknowledged he was Arturo Beltran Leyva’s brother, the Public Safety Department said. Police said he was found with two guns and ammunition.The Beltran Leyva brothers allegedly worked side by side with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, before breaking away in recent years and seizing lucrative drug routes in northeastern Mexico.
While a victory for the government, the success against the Beltran Leyva brothers could empower the Sinaloa cartel and other rival gangs, Grayson said.
The Beltran Leyvas had increasingly relied for protection on the Zetas, a gang led by former soldiers-turned-hit men who also work with the Gulf cartel, he said.
“The Zetas may now move against the Beltran Leyva and take them over, saying, ‘You are now taking orders from us, or we’ll kill you,’” Grayson said. “The good news is you’ve got a bad guy behind bars. The bad news is that this may enhance the Zetas.”
That possibility raises fears of even bloodier turf battles in a drug war that has already claimed more than 15,000 lives since Calderon took office in 2006.
In a possible sign of that fight, the bound, beaten bodies of two men were found Wednesday hanging by their necks from a highway overpass in the Sinaloa town of Los Mochis.Nearby, a message was written on a piece of cardboard: “This territory already has an owner.” The message appeared to be from the Beltran Leyva cartel.
Authorities have blamed the Zetas for killing the marine’s relatives in retaliation for Arturo Beltran’s death.On Sunday, prosecutors in eastern Tabasco state, where the family was killed, announced the capture of three suspected Zetas who allegedly acted as lookouts during the attack. Four other alleged Zetas accused of playing secondary roles were arrested last week, but the killers remain at large

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Manitoba Warriors street gang member charged in a near-fatal stabbing

18-year-old Winnipeg gang associate — once accused of beating a stranger to death on the street during a chance encounter — is now being charged in a near-fatal stabbing whilefree on bail from the initial at tack. Paul Cherewick, 30, died on May 24, 2008, nine days after he was beaten with a baseball bat following an argument with a 16-year-old stranger. Police arrested the teen — who is linked to the Manitoba Warriors street gang — days later and charged him with second-degree murder. The youth was released on a $10,000 surety and several conditions, including a nightly curfew, in 2008. The same accused, now 18, was arrested on Jan. 1 after allegedly stabbing a 25-year-old man following a Winnipeg house party. The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition but has since been deemed stable. The teen, who remains in custody, has been charged with aggravated assault and breaching his youth bail conditions.

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