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• Military Campaign Against Gangs: Internal Security Operations in the United States by Active Duty Forces

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  "This study examines the historical precedents and the laws that allow federal troops to combat domestic enemies, the current environment that may call for the use of active duty forces, and a model that can be used to deal with domestic disturbances within the United States. There are three Constitutional laws and two unwritten laws that give the President the authority to commit federal forces to quell a domestic disturbance. In addition to these laws, there are two laws that limit the President's use of these federal forces in a domestic situation. Street gangs are analyzed using a methodology developed by Bard E. O'Neill. This methodology shows that street gangs are a form of Preservationist insurgency. After identifying the threat (street gangs), the Internal Defense and Development (IDAD) model is analyzed and used to establish a base for planning a campaign. The conclusion of this study is that street gangs and the associated domestic violence is a threat to the United States, but not an organized military or political threat, that is unified under one individual. It is a state problem that may require federal assistance in the forms of law enforcement, economic aid, social aid and military support. Insurgency, Gangs, Internal defense and development, Domestic use of military forces, Street gangs, IDAD."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies

  Hogg, David R.

  2006-11-22
• Honduras: Political and Economic Situation and U.S. Relations [Updated October 13, 2006]

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  "Honduras faces significant challenges in the areas of crime and human rights and improving overall economic and living conditions in one of the hemisphere's poorest countries. In November 2005, Hondurans elected Manuel Zelaya of the Liberal Party as president in an election marred by technical difficulties that delayed the official count. The United States has a close relationship with Honduras, characterized by significant foreign assistance, an important trade partnership, a U.S. military presence in the country, and cooperation on a range of transnational issues. Honduras is a party to the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), which was approved by the Honduran Congress in March 2005 and by the U.S. Congress in July 2005 (P.L. 109-53). The agreement entered into force with Honduras on April 1, 2006. In February 2006, the Department of Homeland Security announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some 75,000 eligible Hondurans in the United States until July 5, 2007; TPS had been scheduled to expire on July 5, 2006. For additional information, see CRS Report RL31870, The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA); CRS Report RS20844, Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues; and CRS Report RS22141, Gangs in Central America."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.

  2006-10-13
• 2007 National Drug Threat Assessment

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  From the report: "The National Drug Threat Assessment 2007 is a comprehensive assessment of the threat posed to the United States by the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs and the diversion and abuse of licit drugs. It was prepared through detailed analysis of the most recent law enforcement, intelligence, and public health data available to counterdrug agencies through the date of publication. This report addresses the trafficking and use of primary drugs of abuse as well as the laundering of proceeds generated through illicit drug sales. It also addresses the role drug trafficking organizations and organized gangs serve in domestic drug trafficking. Major drugs of abuse are discussed in terms of their availability, production and cultivation, transportation, distribution, and demand. Drug trends are also identified and addressed for each Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) region."

  National Drug Intelligence Center (U.S.)

  2006-10
• Prison Radicalization: Are Terrorist Cells Forming in U.S. Cell Blocks?: Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, September 19, 2006

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  This hearing discusses prison radicalization, and questions whether terrorist cells are forming in U.S. cell blocks. It occurred before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, second session, on September 19, 2006. From the text: "For the past 5 years, the Federal Government has attempted to prevent terrorists from entering our country from abroad. Our homeland security efforts have made it increasingly difficult for foreign terrorists to infiltrate and operate in the United States. Increased border security and screening of overseas airline passengers, while critical to help keep out foreign terrorists, do not, however, protect us from home-grown terrorists. The rise of domestic terrorist cells inspired by but not linked directly to al Qaeda is an emerging threat to our national security. This morning, the Committee will examine a deep pool of potential homegrown operatives, American prisons. Our corrections facilities, Federal, State, and local, provide fertile grounds for radicalization and recruitment efforts. We have seen this problem in the formation of such prison gangs as the Mexican mafia and the white supremacist group, the Aryan Brotherhood. And we see it in the focus of our hearing today, the spread in prison of an extremist form of Islam dedicated to committing acts of terrorism."

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2006-09-19
• Gun Legislation in the 109th Congress [Updated September 15, 2006]

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  "Congress continues to debate the efficacy and constitutionality of federal regulation of firearms and ammunition. It is a contentious debate, with strong advocates for and against the further federal regulation of firearms. Gun control advocates argue that federal regulation of firearms curbs access by criminals, juveniles, and other 'high-risk' individuals. They contend that only federal measures can successfully reduce the availability of guns throughout the nation. Some seek broad policy changes such as near-prohibition of non-police handgun ownership or the registration of all firearms or firearm owners. They assert that there is no constitutional barrier to such measures and no significant social costs. Others advocate fewer comprehensive policies that they maintain would not impede ownership and legitimate firearm transfers. Gun control opponents deny that federal policies keep firearms out of the hands of high-risk persons; rather, they argue, controls often create burdens for law-abiding citizens and infringe upon constitutional rights provided by the Second Amendment. Some argue further that widespread gun ownership is one of the best deterrents to crime as well as to potential tyranny, whether by gangs or by government. They may also criticize the notion of enhancing federal, as opposed to state, police powers. Additional firearm-related issues that may receive consideration include (1) retaining Brady background check records for approved firearm transactions to enhance terrorist screening, (2) more strictly regulating certain long-range fifty caliber rifles, (3) further regulating certain firearms previously defined in statute as 'assault weapons,' and (4) requiring background checks for private firearm transfers at gun shows."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  2006-09-15
• Impact of Gangs on Communities

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  "This bulletin considers the impact of gang-related criminal activity on communities. To assess this, however, it is important to take into account the scope and nature of gang activity in different size communities, because gang impact on communities varies in accordance with their differing characteristics. This is the point of departure in this bulletin. Next, the impact of youth gangs on communities in several contexts is examined: the impact of gang members' criminal activity, general community impact, violent gang criminal activity, gang members returning from prison, gang migration and immigration, gangs in schools, and the economic impact of gangs."

  National Youth Gang Center (U.S.)

  Howell, James C.

  2006-08
• Victims of Violence in Times of Disaster or Emergency

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  "When the dust settles from an earthquake or the waters recede following a flood, communities pull together to rebuild and heal. The survivors must cope not just with the trauma of the disaster itself, but also with the ongoing upheaval in their lives. Understandably, they are concerned about what the future holds. The stress and trauma that survivors experience are played out in a number of ways (e.g., alcohol and substance use, sleep disturbance, aggression and short-temperedness, domestic violence), and post-traumatic stress disorder and depression make it difficult to feel hopeful amidst the destruction. Hurricane Katrina reminds us that, despite the lessons learned from tragic events like the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and the Mount St. Helen's volcanic eruption of 1980, much progress remains to be made in applying those lessons to foster change and implement more responsive practices. Sexual violence against women and children who become displaced is historically documented, with the collapse of societal supports, overall increased vulnerability, a lack of companion support, feelings of powerlessness and anger, and unsafe shelter being cited as contributing factors (New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, 2005). During the chaos that accompanies destructive natural or human-induced disasters, some see the opportunity to prey on those who are affected and vulnerable, perpetrating violent crime. We saw evidence of this in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, where survivors of the storm experienced muggings, identity theft, aggravated assault, sexual violence, and gang rape (unconfirmed claims of murder have also been reported)."

  United States. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

  West, Helga; Benitez, Judy

  2006-07
• National Youth Gang Survey: 1999-2001

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  "In 1996, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention launched a series of annual surveys to facilitate analysis of trends in the nature of youth gangs and their activities. This Summary provides results from the 1999, 2000, and 2001 surveys and, when available, preliminary results from the 2002 survey. An estimated 731,500 gang members and more than 21,500 gangs were active in the United States in 2002. This compares with an estimated 846,000 and 30,800, respectively, in 1996. Reports of youth gang problems by law enforcement agencies in rural and suburban counties and in cities with populations of less than 100,000 noticeably declined over initial survey years. Despite these declines, gangs remain a significant problem, particularly in large cities. Every city with a population of 250,000 or more reported the presence of youth gangs in 2002, as they had in every survey."

  United States. Office of Justice Programs

  2006-07
• ICE Apprehends More Than 2100 Criminal Aliens, Gang Members, Fugitives and Other Immigration Violators in Nationwide Interior Enforcement Operation [June 14, 2006]

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  This press release announces the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has apprehended approximately 2,179 criminal aliens, illegal gang members, fugitive aliens, and other immigration status violators as part of a nationwide interior immigration enforcement operation that began in May 2006.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office

  2006-06-14
• El Salvador: Political, Economic, and Social Conditions and Relations with the United States [Updated June 8, 2006]

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  From the Summary: "Tony Saca, a businessman from the conservative National Republican Alliance (ARENA) party, was inaugurated as president for a five-year term in June 2004. President Saca is seeking to restart the country's stagnating economy, pass legislation in a polarized political environment, and combat gang violence. His legislative agenda should face continuing opposition from the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), which recovered seats it had lost due to defections in 2005 in the March 2006 legislative elections. ARENA also increased its representation in the legislature, but lacks a majority and will continue to have to rely on support from small parties to enact President Saca's agenda. In 2005, despite its tough anti-gang legislation, El Salvador posted a murder rate of 15 people per day, the highest in the hemisphere. In February 2006, the Bush Administration extended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of eligible Salvadoran migrants living in the United States until September 9, 2007. On March 1, 2006, El Salvador became the first country in the region to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DRCAFTA) with the United States. This report will be updated periodically."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2006-06-08
• Insurgency in the Hood: Understanding Insurgencies through Urban Gangs

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  "Past, current and future military endeavors will invariably involve conflict at the sub-state level. A recurring problem in the study of insurgent conflict is a lack of data that has the breadth, depth, and historical accuracy to provide insight as to why, at the individual level, people participate in insurgency. Accessibility to street gangs provides a comprehensive source of data not seen in insurgencies. Street gangs provide a "ground truth", to the interaction between the state and organized substate group in a competition for control. The individuals who fuel both sides of this competition for control are basing decisions to participate in insurgency on a framework founded in rational actor theory, but modified by their perspective of the world. Groups who wish to recruit individuals into their insurgency apply incentives and disincentives selectively to individuals to compel membership. As a group gains more members it can apply more incentives, increasing the rate or future recruitment and level of control over a community. A comprehensive and effective strategy cannot be developed to counter these insurgent forces without answering the fundamental questions behind individual participation first. This thesis examines insurgency from the individual level and proposes concepts that must accompany any attempt to combat rebel groups."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Evans, Edward; Spies, James

  2006-06
• Time to Put the Military on the Border

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  "The United States has been in a war on terrorism since the events of September 11, 2001. As a result, there are ever increasing concerns over the possibility of terrorists exploiting our porous southwest border. It is well documented that the U.S. Border Patrol is undermanned, under-equipped, and under-trained to deal with the increasing numbers of illegal immigrants, escalating violent gang activity, and in the increasing incidents of questionable activity by the Mexican military. This paper will seek to discover through a discussion of the relevance of the Posse Comitatus Act, analysis of the growing threat on our southwestern border, the impact of placing the military on the border, and current counterargument, just how serious an issue the security of our southwestern border has become. The paper will conclude by advocating for a change in our border control policy that allows greater discretion to man the border with the U.S. Military to ensure the continued safety and sovereignty of our nation."

  Naval War College (U.S.). Joint Military Operations Department

  Deforge, Robert D.

  2006-05-16
• United States Attorneys' Bulletin: Gangs, Volume 54 Number 3, May 2006

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  This issue of the "United States Attorneys' Bulletin" is focused on gang activity in the United States. Included are the following articles: "Understanding Gangs and Gang Mentality: Acquiring Evidence of the Gang Conspiracy", by Donald Lyddane; "The National Gang Intelligence Center--Up and Running for 2006"; "Investigating and Prosecuting Gangs Using the Enterprise Theory", by Marc Agnifilo, Kathleen Bliss, and Bruce Riordan; "Specialized Tools for Use in Gang Cases"; "ATF's Unique Technology, Investigative Experience, and Statutory Authority in Gang Prosecutions", by Mark Kraft, Debby Scott, and David Chipman; "The Special Operations Division's National and International Expertise", by Joseph S. Gerbasi and Meredith A. Mills; "Cyber-Technology in Gang Cases", by Stephen K Brannon; "Victim and Witness Challenges in Gang Prosecutions", by Heather Cartwright and Ronald L. Walutes, Jr.; "Immigration Authorities and Gang Enforcement", by Claude Arnold; "The Criminal Division Offers Expert Advice and Assistance for Gang-Related Cases", by Robert J. Raymond; and "Gang Prevention: How to Make the 'Front End' of Your Anti-Gang Effort Work", by Patrick Phelan.

  Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys

  Wyrick, Phelan A.; Lyddane, Donald; Agnifilo, Marc

  2006-05
• Gang Prevention: How to Make the 'Front End' of Your Anti-Gang Effort Work

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  "Gang prevention is challenging work. There have been many advances, however, in knowledge and practice, that greatly increase the ability to be successful. U.S. Attorneys' offices can be highly effective leaders in local anti-gang initiatives that incorporate prevention. Federal prosecutors have a clear vested interest in gang prevention and provide a vital link between knowledge and resources at the federal level, and action at the local level. The purpose of this article is to provide federal prosecutors with a firm knowledge of the foundations for gang prevention that are required to get results from the front end of local anti-gang initiatives. Successful gang prevention is based on the proper balance of (1) attractive alternatives to gangs, (2) effective support systems for young people, and (3) accountability of young people to their parents, schools, and communities. Discussed below are the principles of effective gang prevention, a framework for implementing them within a community-based anti-gang initiative, and information about resources to assist in these efforts."

  Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys

  Wyrick, Phelan A.

  2006-05
• El Salvador: Political, Economic, and Social Conditions and Relations with the United States [Updated April 3, 2006]

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  From the Summary: "Tony Saca, a businessman from the conservative National Republican Alliance (ARENA) party, was inaugurated as president for a five-year term in June 2004. President Saca is seeking to restart the country's stagnating economy, pass legislation in a polarized political environment, and combat gang violence. His legislative agenda should face continuing opposition from the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), which recovered seats it had lost due to defections in 2005 in the March 12, 2006, legislative elections. ARENA also increased its representation in the legislature, but lacks a majority and will continue to have to rely on support from small parties to enact President Saca's agenda. In 2005, despite its tough anti-gang legislation, El Salvador posted a murder rate of 15 people per day, the highest in the hemisphere. In February 2006, the Bush Administration extended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of eligible Salvadoran migrants living in the United States until September 9, 2007. On March 1, 2006, El Salvador became the first country in the region to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with the United States. This report will be updated periodically."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2006-04-03
• Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment: Annex 4: Southern and Northern Borders of Mexico Profile

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  This document is Annex #4 to the principal USAID "Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment" report and covers the country of Mexico. "Over the last two decades, Mexico has undergone a profound political transition, spurred largely by electoral reforms. The defeat of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) in the 2000 presidential elections was a watershed moment for the country, as President Vincente Fox's National Action Party ousted the PRI from 71 years of unbroken Mexican rule. Since then, Mexico has seen an evolution in many of its institutions, including more independence for the media, the weakening of the dominant political party, and dismantling of a controlling state apparatus. Despite the advances that have been made, government corruption and impunity still weaken the country. The police and military are under state control, and corruption persists throughout police ranks. Despite the government's general respect for human rights, there are still many problems, especially in Guerrero, Chiapas, and Oaxaca. In 2004, for example, state law enforcement officials were accused of unlawful and vigilante killings and disappearances. Mexico has the highest incidence of kidnapping in the world, with an unofficial estimate of 3,000 kidnappings during 2004, some with alleged police involvement. […] Violent crime is a critical issue. At the national level, the rate of homicides varies between 11 and 14 per 100,000 people, depending on data from the justice or health sectors. This places Mexico slightly above the category of 10 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, which the World Health Organization considers 'epidemic'."

  United States. Agency for International Development

  Sibaja, Harold; Roig, Enrique; Herrera, Rafaela

  2006-04
• Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment: Annex 5: Nicaragua Profile

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  This document is Annex #5 to the principal USAID "Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment" report and covers the country of Nicaragua. "Nicaragua's gang problems are much different from those of its neighbors to the north. The level of violence reported in El Salvador, Honduras, or Guatemala is not found in the country. This is remarkable, given the number of weapons cached from the conflict in the 1980s. During this time, the population migrated from rural areas to urban areas, and gangs began to form in urban neighborhoods as a mechanism of survival. By the mid- 1990s, neighborhood gangs were prevalent in many cities. Gangs, or pandillas, saw themselves as motivated by their 'love for the neighborhood.' Gang criminal tendencies were mugging, pick pocketing, shoplifting, and other low-level crimes. Gang warfare was waged between rival gangs in many of the 600 neighborhoods and squatter settlements in and around Managua. Confrontations with other gangs would start with sticks and stone-throwing and eventually escalate to guns, fragmentation grenades, and mortars. Neighborhoods became war zones, and people were reluctant to leave their homes unless necessary. Drug use was a part of the gang culture, although it was usually limited to marijuana, glue sniffing, and alcohol. By the early 2000s, Nicaraguan youth gangs became involved in the narco-trafficking trade that had existed along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua for decades. Gangs were involved in local wholesaling and pushing on the streets."

  United States. Agency for International Development

  Sibaja, Harold; Roig, Enrique; Rajaraman, Anu

  2006-04
• Highlights of the 2004 National Youth Gang Survey

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  "Annually since 1995, the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC0 has conducted the National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS) of law enforcement agencies across the United States regarding the presence and characteristics of local gang problems. This Fact Sheet summarizes NYGS findings from the 2004 survey. […] NYGC asked survey recipients to report information solely for youth gangs, defined as 'a group of youths or young adults in your jurisdiction that you or other responsible persons in your agency or community are willing to identify as a gang.' Motorcycle gangs, hate or ideology groups, prison gangs, and exclusively adult gangs were excluded from the survey. Of the 2,554 survey recipients, 2,296 (90 percent) responded to the 2004 survey. NYGC estimates that 29 percent of the jurisdictions that city (population of 2,500 or more) and county law enforcement agencies serve experienced youth gang problems in 2004. Within area type, 82 percent of the agencies that serve larger cities, 42 percent of the agencies that serve suburban counties, 27 percent of the agencies that serve smaller cities, and 14 percent of the agencies that serve rural counties reported youth gang problems. The table shows the 3-year average percentage of law enforcement agencies, by agency type, that reported youth gang problems from 1996 to 2004. The average percentage of agencies that reported gang problems declined across all area types between the 1996-1998 and 1999-2001 survey periods."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Flores, J. Robert (John Robert), 1959-

  2006-04
• Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment: Annex 2: Guatemala Profile

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  This document is Annex #2 to the principal USAID "Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment" report and covers the country of Guatemala. "Violence is undeniably not a new phenomenon in Guatemala. The 36-year civil conflict was characterized by high levels of violence, much of it state-sponsored or institutional, the effects of which continue to manifest in the country today. There are significant levels of economic, institutional, and social violence in Guatemala. Organized crime networks exploit the weak rule of law to carry out their illicit businesses of money laundering, kidnapping, and trafficking of narcotics, contraband, weapons, and people. Youth gangs have emerged on the scene as willing functionaries of these organized crime networks at one end of the spectrum and, at the other end, as their convenient criminal scapegoats. Indeed, since the end of the conflict, 'maras,' or gangs, have become public enemy number one. Despite the end of the civil conflict, there are still incidents of institutional violence in the country, including police brutality and extrajudicial killing, as the state attempts to respond to mounting pressure to address high crime levels, particularly gang violence. Levels of social violence are also elevated in Guatemala, with a very high incidence of intra-familial violence including domestic abuse, child abuse, and sexual violence, all of which contribute to perpetuating the cycle of violence within successive generations."

  United States. Agency for International Development

  del Castillo, Christina; Loudis, Richard; Rajaraman, Anu

  2006-04
• Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment: Annex 3: Honduras Profile

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  This document is Annex #3 to the principal USAID "Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment" report and covers the country of Honduras. "The Central American conflicts in the 1980s left deep scars throughout the region, including in Honduras. While not immersed in its own civil war, Honduras played host to the anti-Sandinista Nicaraguan Resistance fighters (Contras). During the 1980s, Honduras was considered a repressive society, and human rights abuses were a common occurrence. The signing of peace accords in the 1990s in neighboring countries signaled a turning point for the region, as economic reform and transitions to democracy became the dominant paradigm for development. […] The current level of youth violence in Honduras is among the worst in Central America. The gang phenomenon is considered by many as one of the biggest problems affecting Honduras. According to police statistics, at the end of 2003, there were 36,000 gang members in Honduras. Gangs established themselves in Tegucigalpa in the 1980s. MS-13 became prominent in Honduras in 1989; 18th Street became prominent in 1993. These two gangs are now well entrenched, particularly in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, where they are responsible for many crimes. Their real growth was not felt, however, until the 1990s, which coincided with legal and illegal migration to the United States and subsequent deportations back to Honduras. For many, however, immigration to the United States was not a dream come true. Instead of finding economic opportunities, many found gangs."

  United States. Agency for International Development

  Sibaja, Harold; Roig, Enrique; Rajaraman, Anu

  2006-04
• Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment: Annex 1: El Salvador Profile

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  This document is Annex #1 to the principal USAID "Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment" report and covers the country of El Salvador. "After the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992, El Salvador has made significant strides in its post-conflict transition to a stable democracy. During the last ten years, however, violence in general has emerged as a potential threat to lasting stability and peace, and gang violence in particular has had serious impacts. In a survey conducted by Instituto Universitario de Opinion Publica (IUDOP), 91 percent of those interviewed stated that maras (gangs) were a big problem. Many academics and political analysts conclude that the problem of gangs is the second most important sociological phenomenon of violence, after the civil war. The high number of homicides-approximately 40 per 100 thousand inhabitants-gives El Salvador the unenviable ranking as one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America. In addition to homicides, there are other violent crimes, including intrafamiliar violence, robbery, extortion, and kidnapping. Central American experts suggest that 40 percent of all homicides that occur today in El Salvador involve a gang member as the victim or the perpetrator. Not surprisingly, both delinquency and citizen security have become predominant concerns for most Salvadorans."

  United States. Agency for International Development

  Sibaja, Harold; Roig, Enrique; del Castillo, Christina

  2006-04
• Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment

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  "Rising crime is threatening democratic development and slowing economic growth across Central America and Mexico. Gang activity has transcended the borders of Central America, Mexico, and the United States and evolved into a transnational concern that demands a coordinated, multi-national response to effectively combat increasingly sophisticated criminal gang networks. Whereas gang activity used to be territorially confined to local neighborhoods, globalization, sophisticated communications technologies, and travel patterns have facilitated the expansion of gang activity across neighborhoods, cities, and countries. The monikers of notorious gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the 18th Street gang (Barrio 18) now appear in communities throughout the United States, Central America, and Mexico. Members of these international gangs move fluidly in and out of these neighboring countries. The U.S. Congress has recognized that some gangs in Latin America and the United States are international criminal organizations whose criminal activities in the Americas have damaging effects on national security by increasing domestic crime levels and facilitating drug trafficking. To combat these gangs which continue to expand their cross-border networks and illegal activities, the United States should act quickly and seize the opportunity to work with Central America and Mexico to develop a coordinated, effective response."

  United States. Agency for International Development

  2006-04
• Press Conference with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Other Senior Officials on Operation Community Shield [March 10, 2006]

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  This press release provides a transcript of a conference with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and other senior officials on Operation Community Shield. This is a tribute to the work of our ICE agents and supporting personnel, as well as federal, state and local law enforcement partners, fighting the war against gang violence. He explains the progress of Operation Community Shield and especially fighting the war against gang violence. Operation Community Shield is particularly focused on the violent MS-13 gang, which came from Central America and which really flourished in the United States. Due to the success of this Operation Community Shield in May 2005, DHS has expanded it to target all criminal street gangs. In the first year of operation, ICE agents in 76 field offices, working with law enforcement nationwide, arrested a total of 2,388 gang members from 239 different gangs. About 40 percent of these were MS-13 members, more than 1,075 with violent criminal histories, including 51 gang leaders.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office

  Chertoff, Michael, 1953-

  2006-03-10
• ICE Arrests 375 Gang Members and Associates in Two-Week Enforcement Action [March 10, 2006]

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  This press release announces that during a two-week enforcement action, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 375 gang members and associates in 23 states in a joint effort with law enforcement agencies nationwide. The arrests are the latest under the auspices of "Operation Community Shield," a comprehensive initiative launched by ICE roughly one year ago to disrupt and dismantle transnational, violent street gangs. Operation Community Shield represents the first time the federal government has used immigration and customs authorities in a combined, national campaign against criminal street gangs in the United States.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office

  2006-03-10
• Assessment of the Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Tribe's Gangs, Youth, Violence & Drugs

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  "Criminal street gang activity within the cultural context of Native American communities involves a myriad of considerations. Of critical importance is the recognition that all tribal communities may share some similar challenges, but each tribal community is unique. Consideration include the proximity of the tribal community to urban centers, access to local prevention and intervention resources for youth, availability of family support programs, employment opportunities, community denial, access to public safety agencies, relations between local, state and federal judicial systems and cultural differences. Despite their communities' unique aspects, there are many common current trends affecting tribal youth. Criminal street gangs have been slowly impacting tribes. The 2003 Annual Report by the Bureau of Indian Affairs identified 6,250 gang members and 1,576 in 520 gangs in the Aberdeen district. [...] To assist tribal communities in ensuring the health and welfare of their youth, it is important that it be aware of the impact of street gangs. A site-based, comprehensive assessment can provide details and insight regarding the local scope of the problem. An assessment may also provide community stakeholders with the means to develop an overall strategy to impact the problem."

  United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Assistant Secretary for Indian Health

  National Violence Prevention Resource Center

  2006-03
• Principles, Imperatives, and Paradoxes of Counterinsurgency

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  "America began the 20th century with military forces engaged in counterinsurgency (COIN) operations in the Philippines. Today, it is conducting similar operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and a number of other countries around the globe. During the past century, Soldiers and Marines gained considerable experience fighting insurgents in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and now in Southwest Asia and the Middle East. Conducting a successful counterinsurgency requires an adaptive force led by agile leaders. While every insurgency is different because of distinct environments, root causes, and cultures, all successful COIN campaigns are based on common principles. All insurgencies use variations of standard frameworks and doctrine and generally adhere to elements of a definable revolutionary campaign plan. In the Information Age, insurgencies have become especially dynamic. Their leaders study and learn, exchange information, employ seemingly leaderless networks, and establish relationships of convenience with criminal gangs. Insurgencies present a more complex problem than conventional operations, and the new variants have a velocity that previous historical insurgencies never possessed."

  U.S. Army Combined Arms Center

  Crane, Conrad C.; Nagl, John A., 1966-; Cohen, Eliot A. . . .

  2006-03
• Jamaica: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations [February 3, 2006]

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  From the Document: "Although Jamaica has a stable parliamentary democracy and is a middle-income developing country, the government of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson faces several significant challenges. These include a violent crime wave fueled by gangs and drug trafficking; high external debt, estimated at 135% of gross domestic product, that could constrain the governments social expenditures; and an adult HIV/AIDS infection rate of over 1%. U.S. relations with Jamaica are close and characterized by significant economic linkages and cooperation on such bilateral issues as anti-drug trafficking measures, hurricane reconstruction support, and efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic. Overall U.S. foreign aid to Jamaica amounted to about $41 million in FY2005 (with $18 million for hurricane assistance) and an estimated $19 million in overall aid for FY2006. This report will not be updated. For further information, see CRS Report RL32160, Caribbean Region: Issues in U.S. Relations, and CRS Report RL32001, AIDS in the Caribbean and Central America, both by Mark P. Sullivan."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.

  2006-02-03
• Crime Mapping News, 2006 (Volume 7, Issue 3)

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  "The topic of this issue of Crime Mapping News is how mapping and GIS [Geographic Information System] can be used to examine drug trafficking and contraband issues. This issue begins with an article that discusses the use and dynamic application of mapping technology by a major law enforcement program located in the Eastern corridor to combat drug trafficking and gang-related activity in various regions of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The second article explains the usefulness of crime mapping in a correctional facility to assist with contraband problems and to deter illicit activity. The third article is part of a new series of this newsletter called the Crime Mapping News Spotlight where we highlight a particular program, crime analysis unit, or special event involving GIS, crime mapping and/or crime analysis and provide a brief snapshot of the key components, ideas, or strategies. This issue's spotlight is about a police department's implementation of a new crime analysis and mapping system and the benefits it will bring to their operations and responses to crime and disorder problems."

  United States. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Police Foundation (U.S.)

  2006
• Serial No. 109-85: Outgunned and Outmanned: Local Law Enforcement Confronts Violence Along the Southern Border: Joint Hearing before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims and the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, March 2, 2006

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  "Today's four witnesses represent the three States that together span most of the southern border with Mexico. Each witness is an experienced sheriff and each is faced with the growing difficulty of enforcing the law in communities that are being subjected to a growing level of violent crime by illegal aliens. Some of these illegal aliens are just moving through on their way to richer pastures further into the interior of the United States. Others are professional criminals who reside south of the border and operate criminal enterprises that exploit the weak security all along the southern borders of these three States. In the past year, there has been a growing threat from military type units providing armed escorts to criminal drug-smuggling gangs across the border from Mexico. In the past 3 months, there have been at least two incidents where heavily armed and uniformed units have appeared on the banks of the Rio Grande River east of El Paso with the apparent goal of intimidating U.S., local, and Federal law enforcement officials from pursuing narcotics smugglers fleeing back home across the border."

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2006
• Serial No. 109-122: U.S. Diplomacy in Latin America: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the Committee on the International Relations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session, July 27, 2005

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  From the opening statement of Dan Burton: "Over the past several months, the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee has convened hearings on topics ranging from democratization, transparency and the rule of law, gangs and crime, and the rise and influence of China in Latin America, and oppression and human rights violations in Cuba. Since September 11, our public diplomacy efforts have been concentrated in educational and cultural exchanges, informational programs and broadcasting resources focused largely on the Middle East and the Muslim world. Some seasoned observers charge that the United States has neglected Latin America in the post-911 environment. Yet most of the non-religious, political, and economic factors that came to a head and inspired Jihadist terrorists against us are at play elsewhere in the developing world. This is common infrastructure used by terrorists, by drug traffickers, and by smugglers and these and other criminal syndicates thrive in areas of lawlessness and in border areas where security is weak. These are some of the growing challenges that we face in Latin America." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Roger Noriega, John Maisto, Stephen Johnson, Jerry Haar, Luis Lauredo, and Dan Burton.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2006