Throughout California, federal and state authorities have been attempting for years to combat gang activity and membership. Gang activity can be quite varied, involving everything from tagging (graffiti) to murder and drug trafficking. Combating gangs is difficult in part because communities often live in fear of being targeted by gangs if they interfere. Those involved in gangs are not interesting in talking to police because they may be closer to their fellow gang members than their families.
Another challenge is that gang members can be extradited from the United States if they're not citizens. Various Central and South American gangs have members living in the United States and if arrested, the authorities will most likely look to extradite the accused.
Regardless of these realities, in 2008 authorities throughout Los Angeles, San Francisco and the rest of California have worked to stop the spread of gang activity. For example, this past week, federal prosecutors in San Francisco indicted 29 people with alleged connections to the notorious street gang MS-13. Prosecutors say the defendants were involved in crimes including drug and firearms trafficking, attempted murder, robbery, and assault.
The indictment comes a day after officials announced arrests from federal raids in the Bay Area. MS-13 is also known as Mara Salvatrucha (MAHR'-uh sahl-vuh-TROO'-chuh) and has roots in El Salvador. The MS-13 gang, aka Mara Salvatrucha 13, is one of the most violently dangerous gangs in the United States - and one of the most organized. The MS-13 gang has cliques, or factions, located throughout the United States and is unique in that it retains is ties to its El Salvador counterparts. With cliques in California, Washington DC, Oregon, Alaska, Arkansas, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and several other South American countries, the MS-13 gang is truly "international" and on the verge of becoming the first gang to be categorized as an "organized crime" entity.
On June 22, 2008, in San Francisco, California, a 21-year old MS-13 gang member, Edwin Ramos, shot and killed a father, Tony, 48, and his two sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, after their car briefly blocked Ramos from completing a left turn down a narrow street.
If you or someone you know has been implicated in a gang related crime, contact the attorneys at Rodriguez, Lewis & Kahn. If you are being charged with a misdemeanor or felony offense you may need to consult with a criminal defense attorney. Both misdemeanors and felonies have the potential for jail time and probation. Misdemeanors are generally regarded as less serious crimes, but nevertheless require an aggressive defense as they carry a potential jail sentence of up to 1 year in county jail. Felonies are the most serious category of crimes that which carry a potential county jail or state prison sentence.
El sitio web de Stephen Rodríguez y Asociados ha sido diseñado para la comodidad de aquellos individuos que han sido acusados de un delito y necesitan representación legal. Consulte el sitio web para obtener más información sobre Stephen Rodríguez y Asociados y sobre cómo le podemos ayudar en la defensa de su caso penal.
