While in federal custody, hes earned his GED and completed college-level classes. / CBS Chicago, CHICAGO (CBS) - Nearly three dozen alleged members of the Latin King street gang are now accused of murder, arson, assault and extortion, among other crimes, federal officials announced Tuesday. His underlings arranged for a limousine to drive him back to Chicago from the Menard Correctional Center downstate. The charges include the attempted murders of rival gang members and a Melrose Park (Illinois) police officer. On Feb. 25, 2007, the indictment alleges that Vargas, Ortiz, Clay, Quiroz and other Latin King members participated in the murder of Latin Dragons leaders James Walsh and Gonzalo Diaz outside of the Sopranos Bar in Griffith, Ind. Delgado is charged with being a felon in possession of a loaded Tauras .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol in Chicago, the indictment states. Among the allegations levied in the indictments were that a soldier in the M-Town faction, Edgar Velarde-Saldana, 33, tried to murder a Melrose Park police officer in July 2014, after it was learned the officer was assisting FBI agents. He was not a cartel leader from Mexico like Chapo or anything like that.. The. CHICAGOA Chicago man alleged to be a "Corona" of the Latin Kings, making him the highest-ranking leader outside of prison and responsible for overseeing the illegal activities of all. Incas are considered the highest authority within a chapter and oversaw the unlawful affairs of the Latin Kings in their areas, according to the indictment. The officer was assisting the FBI. The convictions result from a sustained, coordinated effort by federal law enforcement agencies, working together with the Chicago Police Department and other state and local partners, to dismantle the hierarchy of the Latin Kings and other highly organized, often violent Chicago street gangs. Efren DelAngel a/k/a "Payoso," 21, of Hammond; Caciques charged in the indictment include Raymond Vasquez, 30, of Chicago, who worked in the 97th Street chapter; and Carlos Cartagena, 35, of Calumet City, Illinois, in the 102nd Street chapter, according to the indictment. Paul Vasquez is charged with attempting to transfer a loaded Tec-DC9 semi-automatic pistol to other Latin King members on Oct. 25, 2015, in Chicago, according to the indictment. Fardon declined to elaborate Tuesday on the circumstances of that alleged incident. The Caciques include older circle members Ulises De La Cruz, 28, of Melrose Park, and Miguel Martinez, 31, of Grayslake; and younger circle Cacique Ruben Moreno, 24, of Melrose Park. During the attempted murder, the two enforcers, Efrain Medina, 26, of Maywood, and Jose Pena, 21, of Melrose Park, personally discharged a firearm that left the victim badly injured and permanently disfigured, according to the indictment. All 12 individuals were charged with a conspiracy to distribute narcotics and added to a Latin King indictment pending in Indiana that had previously charged 26 members of the gang, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office. The charges include the attempted murders of rival gang members and a Melrose Park Police officer. The day before his scheduled release in 1997, Colon and a dozen others were charged by the feds with running a multi-million dollar narcotics operation from an apartment in Logan Square. The principal mission of OCDETF is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations. Federal prosecutors later said that she served as Colons eyes and ears outside prison, passing along his orders to other Latin Kings. Mr. Fifty years ago this week June 27, 1971 Gustavo Colon, a teen Latin King, shot and killed Glenn Burr, a teen Vice Lord, at the intersection of Potomac Avenue and Leavitt Street. Months later, the indictment alleges Robles, Salazer, Chavez and another Latin Kings member bet on who would be the first to successfully carry out Vargas order to kill a Latin Dragon leader. The 36th and final defendant is an alleged Latin King charged in a criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Chicago Police Department, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago, and the Cook County Sheriffs Police also had significant roles in the investigation, which was conducted through the federal High Intensity Drug-Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). CHICAGOA Chicago man alleged to be a "Corona" of the Latin Kings, making him the highest-ranking leader outside of prison and responsible for overseeing the illegal activities of all factions of the powerful Chicago street gang, is among 18 defendants charged in a sweeping new federal indictment against the gang's alleged hierarchy. The racketeering conspiracy charge generally carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, but a life sentence is possible for certain underlying racketeering activities referenced in the indictments. Most members are Mexican American or Puerto Rican males. During the multi-year probes, authorities confiscated more than 40 firearms, including two AR-15 assault rifles. The indictments allege that members of the Latin Kings violently enforced discipline within its ranks and retaliated against rivals and former members to prevent cooperation with law enforcement. Chavez is a convicted felon who is also charged with illegally possessing a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber pistol in Chicago in the summer of 2014, the indictment states. Several of the defendants were arrested this week and have begun making initial appearances in federal court in Chicago. Seventeen members of the Latin Dragon street gang were charged in a sweeping indictment unsealed Friday morning alleging the group is responsible for 11 murders and 23 other shootings,. Delgado also faces a drug-related charge for allegedly distributing cocaine in the city in April 2014. WASHINGTONA former Chicago Police officer and two members of the Latin Kings street gang were sentenced this week in Indiana to serve prison time for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy. The indictments pertain to alleged Latin King activities in two Chicagoland areas the southeast side of Chicago, including the south suburbs, and the western suburbs of Maywood and Melrose Park, Illinois. Antonio Gamino a/k/a "Stacks," 19, of Griffith; In the news: Jurors In Alex Murdaugh Double-Murder Trial To Visit Moselle Dog Kennels, House. Colons wife was among his co-defendants. [25] [26] History Latin Kings sweater patch King Motherland Chicago faction An undated photo of Gustavo Colon | Provided by the Chicago Crime Commission. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. 12 Latin Kings Gang Members Indicted In Indiana January 25, 2017 / 6:57 AM / CBS Chicago CHICAGO (CBS) -- Twelve members of the Latin Kings gang are now facing narcotics distribution. He had absolute power, one former Latin King said of Colons grip on the gang. 327 S. Church Street, Room 3300 Several other firearm-related offenses are charged in the indictment. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, CFD: 1 injured, building collapses in West Town fire. In addition to RICO conspiracy, Garcia was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon and using a firearm during a violent crime. During the attempted murder, the two enforcers, EFRAIN MEDINA, 26, of Maywood, and JOSE PENA, 21, of Melrose Park, personally discharged a firearm that left the victim badly injured and permanently disfigured, according to the indictment. A group of older members were referred to as the junior circle or older circle, while a group of younger members were referred to as the Pee-Wee or Shorty circle. Pissetzky noted that Colons brother Cristobal, himself a former member of the Latin Kings, has for more than 25 years served as the pastor of Gods Army Ministries, a church on the Northwest Side. These orders were sometimes referred to as "KOS" or "Kill on Sight," the charges alleged. Another top ranking Latin Kings member, Alexander Vargas, has already pled. The indictment includes the previous charges alleging that the 12 remaining . From its origin and base in the west side Little Village community, the Latin Kings spread throughout Chicago and Illinois and established branches in other states, where local leaders acted with some autonomy but adhered to the rules and hierarchy of the Chicago gang, according to the evidence in the five-week federal trial. "I still run into people who think that these criminal organizations, like the Latin Kings, are a Chicago problem," said David Capp, U.S. Attorney for Northern Indiana. The sentence was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, together with Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Larry Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. HAMMOND, IN. Six reputed members of the Latin Kings gang were indicted Tuesday, accused in racketeering conspiracy and other criminal activity, the U.S. attorney's office and Criminal Division of the. The purpose of the assault was to maintain and increase their position in the Latin Kings, the indictment states. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Jose Guzman, a former Nation Enforcer in the 26th Street, or Little Village, faction, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, and Alphonso Chavez, the Inca, or leader of the gangs 31st and Drake faction, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 26 Feb Feb Thirty four alleged Latin Kings are charged with racketeering conspiracy. announced the charges. Colon was found guilty on all but one of the 21 counts leveled against him. The latest racketeering indictment also charged the 23 Latin Kings for crimes that are already being tried in the state criminal justice system. Several other firearm-related offenses are charged in the indictment. In 2000, a federal judge sentenced Colon to life. Two indictments focus on the Latin Kings' dealings on the Southeast Side and in the western suburbs of Maywood and Melrose Park, known as "M-Town.". "But I'm not naive to think that this was going to put an end to it.". During that time, authorities in both Chicago and northwest Indiana combined efforts to take approximately forty gang members off the streets. "It's chilling.". The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN, ALKN, LKN) the largest and most organized Hispanic street gang in the United States of America, which has its roots dating back to the 1940s in Chicago, Illinois. A locked padlock Chicago Police Supt. Perez is facing gun charges for being a felon in possession of five pistols, a shotgun and a rifle in Maywood, Melrose Park and Hinsdale in the summer of 2014, according to the indictment. CHICAGO Before gentrification changed the face of Wicker Park, swaths of the neighborhood were claimed by a handful of street gangs. Delgado also faces a drug-related charge for allegedly distributing cocaine in Chicago in April 2014. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison 21 years ago. In certain instances, Guerrero and Martinez allegedly were given a portion of the funds they stole as payment for committing the armed robberies. In 2009, for example, one of the gang's national leaders, Augustin Zambrano, was arrested as part of a lengthy crackdown aimed at the gang called Operation Broken Crown, a reference to the gang's crown insignia. For media inquiries about ICE activities, operations, or policies, contact the ICE Office of Public Affairs at (202) 732-4242. The indictments brought in Chicago on Tuesday target two factions of the Latin Kings, one that operates on the city's Southeast Side, several southern Cook County suburbs as well as in. Authorities uncovered the alleged gang activity through dual investigations conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). 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Jimenez collected dues from the chapters as a way of financially supporting the activities of the region, the indictment states. A chapter soldier, Roy Vega, 33, of Chicago, is charged with brandishing and discharging a firearm during a violent assault on July 5, 2014, in Chicago. Have a question about Government Services? tenths to inches converter; jake muzzin family; body sculpting classes hawaii; coleman stove flexible regulator; who owns whatfinger news; howard miller clocks made in usa; terraform concat string and variable; The calls often showed Colons wife acting as an operator, connecting him with gang lieutenants. Gang leaders also issued "standing orders to shoot and beat" rivals and even attack Latin Kings who had fallen from good standing for one reason or another, according to the charges. The Illinois Appellate Court would later say of Colons actions: Far from displaying any reluctance or visible effects of intimidation, the defendant fairly reveled in the execution of his victim. According to the indictments filed in this case, the Latin Kings is a nationwide gang that originated in Chicago and has branched out throughout the United States. Perez is facing gun charges for being a felon in possession of five pistols, a shotgun and a rifle in Maywood, Melrose Park and Hinsdale in the summer of 2014, according to the indictment. The 34 individuals were charged with racketeering conspiracy. Also charged in the indictment are several alleged chapter leaders, known within the hierarchy as Incas, and their second in commands, known as Caciques.According to the indictment, Paul Vasquez, 43, of Chicago, served as Inca of the 82nd Street chapter; Ruben Porraz, 36, of Chicago, was Inca of the 89th Street chapter; Edward Delgado Jr., 31, of Chicago, and Luis Gomez, 31, of Chicago, were at times Incas of the 97th Street chapter; Miguel Denava, 27, of Chicago, served as Inca of the 99th Street chapter; and Eloy Fuentes, 31, of Chicago, was Inca of the 104th Street chapter. Attorneys Jennie Levin, Matthew Hernandez and Morris Pasqual are representing the government in the Gennell, et al, case. All 12 individuals were charged with a conspiracy to distribute narcotics and added to a Latin King indictment pending in Indiana that had previously charged 26 members of the gang, according to a . During the course of the multi-year probes, law enforcement agents confiscated more than 40 firearms, including two AR-15 assault rifles. WIMAUMA, Fla. - Expensive cars, jewelry and guns were all part of daily life for two high-ranking Latin King gang members recently arrested during a three-month narcotics operation in Hillsborough County. Named in today's two-count superseding indictment are: This fifth superseding indictment alleges a conspiracy to commit . Colon was arrested two months after the shooting. - Fifteen alleged members or associates of the Latin Kings have been indicted for their alleged roles in a racketeering conspiracy in Hammond, Ind., and elsewhere, announced U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Paulino Salazar and David Lira are considered fugitives. HAMMOND, Ind. Two other co-defendants convicted at the same trial also received substantial prison terms. Delgado is charged with being a felon in possession of a loaded Tauras .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol in Chicago, the indictment states. Fardon has previously pointed to Chicago street violence as a priority for his office. Twenty-four hours before his scheduled release, federal prosecutors indicted Colon and 12 others on charges of operating a $6 million drug operation out of an apartment at 2420 North Kedzie Avnue between 1995 and 1997. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Included within the Midwest Region of the Latin Kings were numerous sections of the gang, including the Maywood section and the Melrose Park section, which collectively were referred to as the M-Town section. The Latin Kings is a well organized street gang that has specific leadership and is comprised of regions that include multiple chapters. Pissetzky filed a similar motion earlier this year, arguing for Colons release under the First Step Act, a reform bill signed into law in 2018 that aims decrease unnecessarily lengthy federal prison sentences. The following month, Velarde-Saldana brandished and discharged a .45-caliber pistol during the course of a separate violent crime in Maywood, the indictment states. These 9 individuals were added to the existing Latin King indictment pending in the Northern District of Indiana that had previously charged 17 members or associates of the Latin Kings. The investigations were conducted under the umbrella of the OCDETF program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The soldiers are identified in the indictment as FERNANDO CHAVEZ, 31, of Lansing; ISRAEL MATA, 33, most recently in state custody in Indiana on firearm charges; and EDGAR GONZALEZ, 32, of Whiting, Ind. He fired repeatedly into the body of [the victim], and then casually held the gun to the head of [the young woman], who was spared only because the killers earlier zeal had emptied the weapon.. Other regional chapters operated in the south suburbs of Blue Island, Dolton, Harvey and Chicago Heights, as well as in Kankakee, Illinois and communities across the border in Indiana, according to the indictment. The Latin Kings started out in Chicago in the 1950's, with the original stated purpose of protecting Puerto Rican immigrants from racial violence and discrimination. The 66-year-old Colon, Pissetzky said, has high blood pressure, hypertension and prediabetes. In one instance, Bernal, Gudino, Robles, Jalomos and others allegedly caused Jonathan Zimmerman to be transported to Hammond and then murdered him for using counterfeit currency to purchase drugs. In total, more than 80 Latin Kings members and associates have faced state or federal charges since 2006. 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