Saturday, August 2, 2014

Immigration Update: Police say violent gang members have become more organized

8/2/2014


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San Juan police charged Douglas Jasso with delivery and possession of cocaine. Jasso received a $225,000 bond. Fellow Texas Chicano Brotherhood gang member Ismael Zavala was charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine and given a $60,000 bond. Both were arrested, when San Juan police executed a search and arrest warrant at a home in McAllen.
“Gangs have always been a top priority for our department," said San Juan Police Sgt. Rolando Garcia.
Vallucos, Tri City Bombers, Texas Chicano Brotherhood, and Texas Syndicate gang members are known for committing some of the most heinous crimes in the area.
"We've taken them in for murder, we've taken them down for kidnappings, we've taken them down for deadly home invasions, aggravated robberies, aggravated assault, so they're very violent,” he explained.
To crackdown on these gangs, San Juan police teams up with other local law enforcement agencies in hopes of getting these violent offenders off the streets quicker.
“Share the intelligence that we're gathering and get out there to minimize what we’re seeing and what type of actions we’re seeing. Yesterday’s search warrants was a perfect example of that," said Sgt. Garcia.
Sgt. Garcia said the most dangerous part about building a case against a gang member, is executing the warrants, which is why Thursday, they were assisted by the U.S Marshals and McAllen Police.
"They are no longer just picking up a gun and randomly shooting. These guys know how to handle weapons, know how to approach situations, so we have encountered more of an organized effort," said Sgt. Garcia.
In some cases, he explained, gang members are not only armed, but also have body armor to combat police efforts.  It's why understanding the possible threat, risk management, and planning is of the utmost importance when it comes to public safety.
"Make sure everything goes as planned and no one gets hurt," said Garcia.

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