Although 15 Latin Kings members were indicted Friday, only 14 names were . 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. The Southeast Region of the Latin Kings contains over a dozen chapters, all of which answer to a regional structure of leadership, according to the indictment. United States Attorney David Capp announced federal racketeering charges against nine additional members of the Latin Kings: Reynaldo Robles a/k/a "Sneaky," 24, of Portage; 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. Each chapter is typically named after the city in which it operates, or by a street or streets that run through the chapter. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Attorneys Jennie Levin, Matthew Hernandez and Morris Pasqual are representing the government in the Gennell, et al, case. CHICAGO Before gentrification changed the face of Wicker Park, swaths of the neighborhood were claimed by a handful of street gangs. Newsfeed Now: President Trump campaigns in NC; Presidential, Newsfeed Now: Trump campaigns in PA; Changes to Thursdays, Alabama man meets long-lost brother through DNA test, Friends call 911, save life of 69-year-old California, Trick-or-treating banned: Los Angeles announces strict, State police returning to Portland following deadly, U.S. Coast Guard honors 9-year-old for saving fathers, Nev Schulman of MTVs Catfish leaves generous,, I hope one of yall pick me, 9-year-old boy desperately, Which face masks are most, least effective at stopping, Man who shot Denver officer and escaped prison in, WATCH: Celebration of life for Rep. 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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. "Gang violence, gun violence, senseless violence, the type of violence that plagues our communities, our neighborhoods, in Chicago and beyond," U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon told reporters at a news conference at the Dirksen U.S. He is currently held at a federal prison in Kentucky. 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.". Federal and local law enforcement began making arrests earlier this week. Colon did come back to Chicago, but not in the way he hoped. The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation ( ALKQN, ALKN, or LKN, also known as simply Latin Kings) is one of the largest Hispanic and Latino street and prison gangs worldwide. 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 following month, Velarde-Saldana brandished and discharged a .45-caliber pistol during the course of a separate violent crime in Maywood, the indictment states. He lived in a house in suburban Highland.. Several of the defendants were arrested this week and have begun making initial appearances in federal court in Chicago. Have a question about Government Services? Several of those charged began making initial appearances in federal court this week. CHICAGO Two federal indictments unsealed in Chicago Tuesday charged 34 members of the Latin Kings street gang with participating in a criminal organization that assaults and attempts to murder its rivals and violently protects its territories in the city and suburbs. Feds charge dozens of alleged Latin Kings in sweeping conspiracy. Rockford: (815) 987-4444. 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. It is a well-organized street gang that has specific leadership and is composed of regions that include multiple chapters. Meanwhile, the feds in Northwest Indiana also indicted several alleged gang members on Tuesday. Combating cross-border criminal activity is a critical component of the overall safety, security and well-being of our nation. The two gang members sentenced Thursday -- Sisto Bernal and Santiago Gudino -- were originally indicted by federal prosecutors in late 2011 as part of a sweeping, detailed indictment alleging years of crimes, including murders, drug deals and burglaries, committed by 21 members of the Latin Kings. Colon fired three more rounds into Burrs body after Burr fell to the ground, according to court records. In the news: Jurors In Alex Murdaugh Double-Murder Trial To Visit Moselle Dog Kennels, House. 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. CHICAGO - Twenty-six alleged members and associates of the Latin Kings street gang are facing federal narcotics charges, most of them for their alleged roles in one of two drug-trafficking organizations that supplied and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of heroin, cocaine and marijuana in Chicago and the south suburbs. He put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger, but it didnt fire. Also charged in the indictment is JUAN JIMENEZ, 33, of Blue Island, who allegedly served as the Southeast Regional Treasurer. 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. The. Founded in Chicago in the 1950s, the Latin Kings in many ways are a throwback to an era when gangs were led by unchallenged leaders who ruled over large swaths of territory, controlling criminal enterprises and driving violence. Taliyah Barboza, a/k/a "Queen Taliyah," 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately six days in prison) and three years of supervised release. The public is reminded that indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Though prison phone calls are recorded, Colon frequently discussed gang business with his wife, Marisol. Significant investigative assistance was provided by the following Illinois agencies: Melrose Park Police Department, Maywood Police Department, Cook County Sheriff's Police Department, Joliet Police Department, Evergreen Park Police Department, Bolingbrook Police Department, Orland Park Police Department, and Palos Park Police Department. Feds: Chicago cops helped Latin Kings with Chicago, Indiana crimes By Michael Puente. Adding to the turmoil, gang factions are more active on social media, using hashtags and instant messages to threaten and challenge each other, keeping the level of animosity constant and elevated. During periods when the M-Town section was split into an older and younger circle, each circle had its own set of leaders, but the ranking members of the younger circle still reported to the ranking members of the older circle, according to the indictment. According to this indictment, the Latin Kings is nationwide gang that originated in Chicago and has branched out throughout the United States, including to Texas. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. . According to the indictment, the Latin Kings is a nation-wide gang that originated in Chicago and has spread throughout the United States. 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. 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,. That's because common names are just nicknames for plants. Colon was arrested two months after the shooting. CHICAGOThe second highest-ranking leader nationwide of the Latin Kings street gang was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after being convicted at trial in 2011 of racketeering conspiracy (RICO) and related charges involving narcotics trafficking and violence that plagued numerous neighborhoods on the citys north, south, and west sides. 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. 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. An official website of the United States government. 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. Federal prosecutors later said that she served as Colons eyes and ears outside prison, passing along his orders to other Latin Kings. Authorities said the gang operated like a corporation -- with regions, chapters and a hierarchy - that engaged in gun running, extortion and sex trafficking. Several leaders of the M-Section, including three Incas and three Caciques, have been charged in the indictment. An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Authority Delegation Program 287(g). 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. For media inquiries about ICE activities, operations, or policies, contact the ICE Office of Public Affairs at (202) 732-4242. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. The specific sentence in each case to be imposed upon conviction will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Garcia and Zambrano were the highest-ranking Latin Kings to be convicted and sentenced since Gustavo Gino Colon, who also holds the title of Corona, was sentenced to life in prison in 2000. 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. But the real business of the Almighty Latin Kings is violence, federal authorities say. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. 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. This indictment also alleges that Alex Guerrero and Antonio Martinez, Jr., while employed as officers with the Chicago Police Department, committed armed robberies on behalf of Bernal, while in some instances in uniform and driving Chicago Police Department issued vehicles. 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 66-year-old Colon, Pissetzky said, has high blood pressure, hypertension and prediabetes. Nancy DePodesta, a former federal prosecutor who led the case against Zambrano, said in an interview Tuesday that it was "disheartening" to see so many of the same allegations in the new charges. With a body mass index of 33, Colon is also considered obese. "It's chilling.". The principal mission of OCDETF is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations. William Dennis Salazar, 40, of Hammond; - 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. The new 53-page document also adds 14 new defendants to a prosecution that began in summer 2016. According to this indictment, Clay, Fernandez, Arambula, and others participated in the conspiracy to murder of Edward Delatorre and another individual on Nov. 26, 2006. 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. 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. In 2000, a federal judge sentenced Colon to life. During the six-week trial, former members testified about the strict rules, formally laid out in a constitution and rule book that they were required to follow. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Southeast Region (Chicago and South Suburbs). On July 18, 2011, Travis Nash was shot and killed in Hammond. Several of the defendants were arrested this week and have begun making initial appearances in federal court in Chicago. The testimony showed they had to defend their turf with guns and be ready to fire at rivals. Official websites use .gov King and Issa are also in federal custody. Another top ranking Latin Kings member, Alexander Vargas, has already pled. Jimenez collected dues from the chapters as a way of financially supporting the activities of the region, the indictment states. Indictment: U.S.A. v. Gennell, et al, 16 CR 462, Indictment: U.S.A. v. Cavillo, et al, 16 CR 463. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Thirty-six alleged members of the Latin Kings street gang were charged Tuesday, accused of participating in a criminal organization that violently acted to protect its territories in Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana, federal authorities announced. An official website of the United States government. The multi-jurisdiction investigation started in 2013. "If theres any member of a criminal organization in northwest Indiana or south Chicago continuing to operate, were going to get you. 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. Colon absolutely deserves this opportunity to finally be out and be with his family and be free after all these years in custody, Pissetzky said. Among the Chicago chapters included in the Southeast Region were 82nd Street, 88th and 89th Streets, 97th Street, 99th Street, 102nd Street, 104th Street, and the Roseland neighborhood. The gang's activities spanned Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. These orders were sometimes referred to as "KOS" or "Kill on Sight," the charges alleged. DePodesta said one of the most disturbing aspects about the gang was the dues members were forced to pay money earmarked for criminal defense attorneys and sometimes even funeral expenses. The .gov means its official. It was just before 10 p.m. on June 27, 1971 when Burr, who was 16 years old, and four others left his home in the 1300 block of North Leavitt Street. Several other firearm-related offenses are charged in the indictment. Federal officials say violent gang crime is a regional issue, and they are continuing their hunt for gang members. In announcing sweeping federal indictments against some of the street gang's top regional leaders Tuesday, prosecutors alleged the gang employs brutal means to protect its turf, including beatings, murder, arson and even the attempted murder of a suburban cop who was suspected of working for the FBI. A locked padlock The indictment alleges that the Latin Kings required their members to pay dues, which were used to buy weapons, raise money for bond for jailed gang members and help pay for attorneys. 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. Chicago Police Supt. Recordings also captured the violence, including a graphic black-and-white video showing one Latin King being pummeled and stomped by fellow members during a "violation," or gang punishment. 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. The M-Town section was divided into two groups, known as circles, the indictment states. "In what other organization is it just part of doing business to set aside funds for the funerals of your members?" Colons attorney, Gal Pissetzky, filed a motion last year asking for Colons release because he was at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19. The U.S. Attorneys Office argues that Colon is serving a sentence that is within the advisory guidelines range and fully justified given his role as leader of the Latin Kings. 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