Russian court held preliminary hearings on Thursday in the trial of a skinhead gang whose members are charged with murdering 20 people

Russian court held preliminary hearings on Thursday in the trial of a skinhead gang whose members are charged with murdering 20 people in racist attacks.
Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, both aged 17, led seven other skinheads aged between 17 and 22 who mainly attacked migrants from post-Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus."The criminal skinhead group is charged with 20 premeditated murders, 12 attempted murders and fomenting racial hatred," said Moscow City Court spokeswoman Anna Usachyova."The skinhead group ... will be tried behind closed doors," she said. "A jury, requested by a female suspect, will be selected on August 22. The trial will be closed because some of the accused have not yet come of age."The accused video-taped their attacks on people with darker skin and posted them in the Internet.Running sequences of some of the violent attacks, Russia's Vesti-24 channel said that after severely beating their victims the gang would often use a knife to finish them off with a "trademark" stab in the back.
Attacks on foreigners and darker-skinned migrant workers from ex-Soviet republics have become commonplace in today's Russia, where Jewish cemeteries and synagogues are often desecrated by neo-Nazi vandals. Swastika graffiti can be seen across Russia.Local anti-fascist campaigners have repeatedly urged the authorities to tackle rising xenophobia and neo-Nazism in Russia, which lost millions of its citizens fighting against fascism during World War Two.

Apple Valley shoot out.

Two groups of apparent gang members opened fire on each other last evening, wounding one man and sending 16 others running through an alley near an Apple Valley community center, San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies say this morning.
The wounded man phoned deputies shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, saying he'd been wounded twice, investigators say in a written statement. The shooting occurred near the James A. Woody Community Center at Navajo and Ottawa Roads.
Friends took the wounded man to a local hospital where officials said he was in stable condition. No arrests were made.

MS-13 gang members, who were wearing black FBI shirts, executed several home invasions in the Houston area a Columbian gang is targeting the wealthy

Three years ago, a group of well-trained MS-13 gang members, who were wearing black FBI shirts, executed several home invasions in the Houston area. Then, one night in November of 2005, real agents were waiting for the home invaders. In a hail of gunfire, two gang members were killed and two others wounded. Thirty six months later, home invasions across the country are on the rise and in Houston; investigators believe a Columbian gang is targeting the wealthy. The latest home invasion happened in the upscale community of Piney Point Village at about 2 p.m. on July 24. A high school student home for the summer heard a knock at the door.
When he went to answer the door, three men barged in. At least one of the men had a gun. They took the family safe and some electronics. The teen that was home told investigators that all three robbers communicated with each other in Spanish.
Now, Houston ATF agents are working on the case. Earlier this month, Dallas police arrested a group of men they think are responsible for 70 home invasions in 20 North Texas cities. Police said the leader of the gang was Ernest Ross. Like the Houston cases, the victims in North Texas would be considered wealthy.
Moreover, it appears that the gang would research their victims by going online. They would also usually pose at cops. “They would on many occasions dress in law enforcement-type gear. They would often tell the homeowners they had a warrant for their arrest,” said Dallas Police Detective Duane Boy. “Once they got in, they would bind them and in some cases they did torture them.” With the ATF and the FBI working with local law enforcement agencies to catch the criminals, officials hope to put a halt to the home invasions sooner than later. Until then, police warn that homeowners need to be careful when a stranger knocks on the door.

Shots fired during an altercation between two males, one of whom was allegedly armed with a handgun

Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Rose Guiboche said no one in the truck was struck by the bullets, fired in the 300-block of Kennedy Street shortly after 4 p.m. Guiboche said she was unaware how many hit the truck or where.
The shots were fired during an altercation between two males, one of whom was allegedly armed with a handgun, and others, a source said. No one was injured.
Police said the males, aged 14 and 18, are associated with a street gang. The males were arrested after a standoff and are facing firearm- and drug-related charges.
Police have not confirmed who the intended target or targets were. Witnesses told police several people fled the area when three or four shots were fired. Investigators are hoping to speak to the people who ran off.
The standoff began when officers arrived at the scene and two males ran into an apartment block at 388 Kennedy St. Witnesses said one of the males was carrying a handgun. Police blocked the street and evacuated residents as a precaution.
The tactical support team was brought in and, after a few hours, two males and a woman were removed from a suite and arrested. The woman is not facing charges.
Guiboche said the suspects don't live in the building but know someone who does. Police obtained a warrant to search the suite. The organized crime unit conducted the search early yesterday and found a handgun, magazine, 100 grams of crack cocaine and drug-trafficking paraphernalia. The crack is valued at $2,000. Several residents of the building said they don't feel safe in the area anymore due to rising violence, drug dealing and tensions between rival gangs. Guiboche said residents should be concerned about gang activity in the area but not afraid. "We believe things are changing. It's going to take time," Guiboche said.
Danny Davis Ballantyne, 18, is charged with several firearm-related offences, possession for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of failing to comply with a recognizance. He is in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre.
A 14-year-old boy is facing similar firearm- and drug-related charges. He is in custody at the Manitoba Youth Centre.

Tyrone Lamar Members convicted of two homicides and an assault that prosecutors believe may have been a 10-week-long revenge spree by Members

Monroe County Court jurors have convicted Tyrone Lamar Members of two homicides and an assault that prosecutors believe may have been a 10-week-long revenge spree by Members against rival street gang members.Members, 19, was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting of Rasean Roberts on May 11, 2007, and the shooting of Jamel Wigington on June 7, 2007, and second-degree assault in the wounding of Jason Cole on Aug. 22, 2007.Members also was convicted of second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.Judge John J. Connell scheduled sentencing for Aug. 15. Members faces a prison term of up to 65 years to life, said Assistant District Attorney Jennifer A. Whitman.
Jurors delivered the verdict Friday night. But the verdict wasn't official until Monday because a juror became ill and was taken to a hospital after the verdict was reached but before it was announced.During a brief court proceeding Monday, the juror who became ill confirmed his verdict to Connell. The remaining 11 jurors also said the verdict was unanimous.Prosecutors alleged the shootings came after an altercation outside a girl's 16th birthday party on Salina Street in which Cole punched Members in the face, knocking him down, after Members bumped into him. Members got up firing a pistol and hit Roberts in the chest, the prosecution said. None of the combatants had been invited to the party.Wigington, 17, died a day after he was shot in the upper body while sitting in a car on Thurston Road. A witness said she saw Members carrying a shotgun at the time of the shooting.
Cole, 19, was shot in the arm outside his home on Post Avenue. He was initially uncooperative with police but testified that Members was his assailant.
Before Members' trial began, the prosecution told Connell that it hoped several witnesses would provide a potential motive: that Members is reputedly a member of Thurston Zoo, a southwest Rochester gang, and all three victims were members of Mafia Assassins.But the prosecution chose not to ask about alleged gang affiliation. Whitman said the issue could have become muddled because witnesses would have offered different interpretations of what constituted gang membership.
In her summation to jurors, Whitman said witnesses were obviously scared, with one looking warily at Members and asking Connell whether she had to identify Members as the shooter in one of the cases.
"If they (witnesses) were in here and pointed him out, they've got to worry," said Whitman, who noted that only three witnesses came forward of 75 people who were present when Roberts was slain. "That is the reality in the city of Rochester."
Members' lawyer, Jennifer Moll, said the lack of specificity by witnesses created insufficient proof of guilt. "We submit to you there's enough reasonable doubt that Tyrone didn't commit any of these crimes," she told jurors.

Glasgow gang wars esculate into murder rival gangs armed with blades, including a Samurai sword, clashed in a terrifying street fight.

Glaswegian was killed as rival gangs armed with blades, including a Samurai sword, clashed in a terrifying street fight.Police were last night probing the murder of Charles Bowman, 32, who was dead on arrival at hospital after the bloody battle on Sunday night.Four other men were injured as the two gangs clashed in a normally quiet street in the east end of Glasgow.One of them was Douglas Tennent, 37, who innocently stopped to offer help and was stabbed four times in the face in front of his terrified family - including his three-year-old daughter Charli.Locals in Carmyle, Glasgow, believe the battle was between rival gangs from the area and the nearby Westburn area of Cambuslang, where murder victim Charles lived.In Westburn last night, tributes were being left at his home by grieving friends and family.A Rangers flag hung over a car in his driveway, with messages and tributes from his loved ones.In the main street of Westburn, a makeshift memorial was created with Old Firm shirts, scarves and flags all bearing tributes.One message read: "Goodbye Uncle Chick. Rest in Peace."Police said last night: "Police were called to a report of a largescale disturbance in Carmyle Avenue near to Gardenside Avenue. On arrival, they found five men injured."The men were all taken to local hospitals. The 32-year-old man was pronounced dead on arrival."The four other men are being treated for their injuries."It is believed police were already on the scene when Douglas was attacked.One witness said: "This is a peaceful street and nothing like this ever happens here."Two cars full of men came screeching into the street.
"Then they all jumped out with bottles, baseball bats, knives and bricks and started laying into each other. The battle went on for about half an hour and by the time the police arrived there were guys lying bleeding in the street.
"Then a car came into the street, driven by a man with a female passenger and a kid in the back.
"He stopped and rolled down his window.
"Some guy who looked as if he had just been watching then sauntered over to the car, as if he was going to speak to the driver."The next thing I noticed was the woman jumping out of the car screaming that her husband had been stabbed.
"When his attacker ran away, I saw there was blood everywhere and he was in a really bad state."
Douglas's partner Patricia Bradley was too upset to speak last night at their home just a few streets from the scene of the battle.His sister Janice said he was having surgery last night on his face and added: "His hand was also damaged when he lifted it to try to protect his face so he'll probably need more surgery.
"We're really shocked about what has happened, especially in such a quiet place."
A source close to the family said: "We think the guy with the knife has taken him for someone else and thought he was winding down his window to get involved."
'They all jumped out with bottles, bats and knives and layed into each other'

Police say they've been bracing for retribution following the July 5 murder of high-ranking gang member Roger Chin, who was gunned down in his car.

Insp. Kevan Stuart said the victim, who's not known as a gang member, was shot repeatedly in the abdomen while in his car, but managed to drive himself to Warring's home in his bullet-riddled vehicle. The man in his late 20s or early 30s suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The gang unit is investigating possible organized crime links to the shooting, said Stuart, adding the victim hasn't co-operated with police. "We need them to follow through fully with their information. It takes courage," said Stuart, voicing concern at the tight-lipped behaviour of victims and others following possible gang-related crimes. "Sooner or later, some innocent person's going to get killed but when that happens, it's too late ... somebody out there knows information about this incident."
Stuart also revealed another shooting accompanied a burglary at a home in northeast Calgary about 12:20 a.m. Sunday.
Nobody was injured in the incident but police are trying to determine if it's related to the later shooting nearby, he said. Stuart expressed frustration at the rash of gunplay in Calgary that on Saturday left a man dead on a Chinatown street.
"This isn't what Calgary's all about. This isn't what made Calgary the most prosperous city in North America," he said.

Christopher Byron Lord, was well known to police. He died after showing up at a local hospital with a gunshot wound on Saturday.

Christopher Byron Lord, was well known to police. He died after showing up at a local hospital with a gunshot wound on Saturday. Still, the full circumstances of the killing remain a mystery. Police have identified suspects, but haven't laid charges. They are confident that the shooting happened somewhere around 96 Avenue and 176 Street, about six blocks from where they initially combed a small park for clues following Lord's death. Police first became aware of the case after someone drove Lord to the hospital sometime after the shooting, between 5 and 6 a.m. Saturday. He later died of blood loss. Lord's death comes three years after he found himself in trouble for his role in a beating over a drug debt in Grande Prairie. Last February, he pleaded guilty to unlawful confinement after a man was lured into a crackhouse and beaten on June 10, 2005. Lord, who showed up while the crime was in progress, admitted in court to watching over the victim in confinement.
For his role, Lord received a six-month jail sentence. At the time, court heard that Lord, who was married with children, had been taking steps to recover from a substance-abuse problem. The case was his first conviction on a violent criminal offence. In the meantime, police in Edmonton are asking residents in the area where the killing took place to check their property for anything suspicious. The case is the city's 15th homicide of the year.

Timothy "Beefy" Bartruff high-ranking motorcycle gang leader accused of dealing large quantities of methamphetamines is back in Northwest Indiana

Timothy "Beefy" Bartruff, 50, was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court on charges of conspiring to manufacture and possess methamphetamines as part of a network in southern Porter County and Newton and Jasper counties.high-ranking motorcycle gang leader accused of dealing large quantities of methamphetamines is finally back in Northwest Indiana, where he was indicted in June on a narcotics trafficking charge.
The former Kouts man was the national president of the Indiana-based Invaders motorcycle gang in the 1980s, before he went to prison for dealing in methamphetamines, news accounts from the time say.Prosecutors in this summer's case have said many of the people affiliated with the conspiracy were either Invaders members or associates. Gang gear decorated with swastikas and Invaders logos was recovered from one of the alleged meth labs in Kouts.Bartruff was arrested in St. Louis in June on the latest meth charges, which involved scores of arrests across northern Indiana and in Chicago, St. Louis and Denver.Bartruff was extradited last week to northern Indiana, as one of the 37 people charged in an investigation involving undercover informants and a large number of tapped phone calls.
Also arraigned Monday in Hammond was Christopher Krug, 31, of Wheatfield, who faces four counts of conspiring to manufacture meth.Krug's arrest Monday leaves only one outstanding fugitive in the bust -- Brandy Pulver, 33, of Knox.Pulver is among the figures facing the least severe charges in the case, involving simple possession of pseudoephedrine that she knew someone else would use to make meth.

Members of the Gangster Disciples, Black Disciples, Latin Kings and Four Corner Hustlers rated out Chicago auto dealers

Two former Chicago auto dealers were convicted of turning their businesses into money-laundering havens for drug-dealing street gangs. Amir Hosseini, 50, of Winnetka and Hossein Obaei, 54, of Northbrook, were immediately taken into custody by marshals after being convicted of dozens of counts of racketeering, money laundering, bank fraud, bribery and structuring deposits to evade federal scrutiny. The two men convicted of 98 criminal charges, may end up getting life terms.The drug dealers used cash to buy more than 800 luxury cars, including Mercedes Benz, Jaguar and BMW models, according to prosecutors. Fitzgerald said fake transactions would be created on paper to look as if the cars were bought for less than $10,000 so that required paperwork did not have to be completed. As part of the alleged fraud, prosecutors accuse the defendants of placing liens on cars they sold to drug dealers and gang members, falsely indicating the dealership held security interests in the cars so the defendants could get the cars back if they were seized by law enforcement, prosecutors said. At the trial, which began Jan. 22, members of the Gangster Disciples, Black Disciples, Latin Kings and Four Corner Hustlers testified that they used proceeds from sales of heroin and cocaine to buy Jaguars, BMWs, Cadillacs and other luxury vehicles from the two defendants. Prosecutors said Hosseini and Obaei were aware that drug money was paying for the luxury autos. Evidence showed that Hosseini transferred $100,000 of the cash to Iran but prosecutors declined to comment on the reason.When arrested, both men carried American and Iranian passports.Prosecutors said the two owners and two managers of the three dealerships on the city's West Side had allegedly laundered more than $9 million since 2001. "We're not talking about car dealers who sold cars to people who happened to be drug dealers or sold cars to people despite the fact that they were drug dealers. We're talking about a car dealership that was in the business to cater to people who were drug dealers and gang bangers," Fitzgerald said. The defendants Amir Hosseini, 48, of Winnetka, described as the owner and operator of Standard Leasing Sales, currently known as Amer Leasing Sales, and a partial owner in SHO Auto Credit; Ruhollah Bambouyani, 54, of California and formerly of Glenview, described as Hosseini's business partner at Standard; and Ramona Rodriguez, 38, of Chicago, described as the finance manager and office manager of both Standard and American Car Exchange.
Prosecutors also charged Hossein Obaei, 52, of Northbrook, who owned and operated American Car Exchange and was a partial owner in SHO Auto Credit. Obaei also was charged with aiding and abetting a cocaine- and heroin-trafficking ring allegedly operated by some of his customers. Federal agents and Chicago police also seized more than 100 cars from the dealerships and searched the defendants' offices and homes. According to a criminal complaint, the defendants allegedly sold cars to people they knew were drug dealers or gang members in exchange for cash, "knowing that the transactions were designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the proceeds of their customers' drug-trafficking activities."

Lerome "L'il Rome" Franklin,Floyd Aaron "YG" Martin,Secrets of the Trigga Mob Gang

For two weeks, the secrets of the Trigga Mob Gang have spilled out in a Sacramento courtroom, into a story of fear and danger – and the newest twist on the way things work in the city's modern-day gang life.Virtually unknown outside its relatively small membership and the few streets it seeks to control in North Sacramento, the Trigga Mob is still a focus of murder and witness intimidation investigations, and it remains a key manipulator of drug activity on one of the area's meanest streets, according to trial testimony and other court records.
Its reputed leader has a tattoo that identifies him as a "five-star general." He's on trial along with another TMG member who police say is a top "soldier" in the outfit. They're accused of trying to kill a loosely affiliated gangster who they thought had turned snitch. If the Trigga Mob is limited in its geographic reach, it is hugely significant in what it represents about Sacramento gangs. Its 10 to 25 members make up what police and academics call a gang "subset." In TMG's case, it's the long-established Del Paso Heights Bloods that provides the larger umbrella group. And the Trigga Mob's relatively recent emergence exemplifies the splintering of larger "sets" that operate under the banner of the better-known Crips and Bloods gangs.Besides the Trigga Mob, there is its main rival – Keep It Lit. Also on the north side are the True Heights Villains, Elm Street, the Farm Boys, the Beast Mob and the Flat Dogs. All identify with Del Paso Heights and all claim Blood affiliation.Multiply them by the rest of the city's high-crime neighborhoods where broken families and social ills turn young people onto the streets, and the picture of Sacramento gangs in the year 2008 comes more into focus, one leading local gang expert said."It's been happening for the past few years," California State University, Sacramento, criminal justice professor Jim Hernandez said of the fragmentation. "We start out with Crips and Bloods and Norteños and Sureños, and as the gangs have kept growing, you start getting a difference in personalities. They start splitting up, and they become different gang groups and they have different things going on."The breakdown carries potentially ominous consequences. Hernandez said it may make it tougher for police and prosecutors to convince juries that a bunch of fellas from the neighborhood are acting in concert as a gang, even as the same guys are wreaking havoc at the same time in their smaller patches of turf.
"Now we have independent gangs, with tattoos from groups that may not mean anything. And with some gang membership having a fast turnover, it may be more difficult to tackle. It's much more complicated."
The tale of the Trigga Mob is being told in Department 32 at Sacramento Superior Court in the case of the People v. Lerome "L'il Rome" Franklin, 24, and Floyd Aaron "YG" Martin, 21. They're accused of conspiracy and attempted murder. If convicted, they face sentences of 25 years to life.According to trial and preliminary hearing testimony, Franklin (according to a police description of his tattoos, he's the "five-star general") called Martin, the "soldier," from downtown's Main Jail on March 15, 2007, and told Martin to "get on money."
"Money" was the nickname of a reputed Blood associate named Timothy Hurst. Franklin believed Hurst set up his arrest earlier that day on robbery and other charges. Police and prosecutors took Franklin's phrasing to mean that he wanted Martin to do Hurst some harm.That night, outside the Economy Inn on El Camino Avenue, someone shot Hurst five times."It's a done deal," Martin told Franklin in a conversation taped later on the jail telephone line, according to a district attorney's cover sheet contained in court documents.Hurst survived the onslaught. When police questioned him shortly after the attack, he declined to cooperate. Later, he testified that he feared another assault. He also testified that he feared the shooters might target his sister and niece.

Cedric Baxter Smith, 59, a full-patch member of the Vancouver Hells Angels, is missing and feared dead.

Cedric Baxter Smith, 59, was one of the early members of the powerful biker gang, which is gathering in Langley this weekend to mark the 25th anniversary of its first chapters in B.C.
full-patch member of the Vancouver Hells Angels who unwittingly introduced a police informant to the organized crime group is missing and feared dead, The Vancouver Sun has learned.Smith was out on parole on a series of drug-trafficking convictions when he was last seen by his club brethren on the Victoria Day long weekend.
He failed to report to his probation officer June 17 and the next day, RCMP visited his Langley home in an unsuccessful bid to find him.
Police then heard from a senior Vancouver Hells Angels member on June 27 that Smith might have met with "foul play." RCMP located his abandoned vehicle in a Langley alley later that day.Insp. Gary Shinkaruk, who heads the RCMP's Outlaw Motorcycle Gang unit, confirmed that Smith has vanished without a trace."Cedric Smith of the Vancouver Chapter Hells Angels has been reported missing for some time now," Shinkaruk said. "We don't know where he is. We haven't found him yet."
Smith was the first Hells Angels member to have contact with a police agent who had already secretly agreed to infiltrate clubs in Vancouver and Prince George in a covert operation dubbed Project Essen.The investigation led to 10 major arrests in January 2005, including Smith and Vancouver club president Norman Krogstad. All the accused eventually pleaded guilty to various drug and gun charges, making the project the most successful prosecution of B.C. bikers to date.
Because of the guilty pleas, the police agent, who is now in the witness protection program, did not end up testifying.
Smith is not the only biker in the case who may have met with a violent end. Co-accused William (Billy) Moore, who headed the Hells Angels puppet club in Prince George, was slain in March 2005. The bullet-riddled body of the Renegades president was found slumped in his car near the charred remains of his rural home. The murder remains unsolved.Moore had extensive contact with the police agent during the 18-month undercover operation. Members of both the Angels and Renegades praised Moore at his funeral, held under the watchful eye of police.
At the time, Hells Angels spokesman Rickey Ciarniello, who owns the Vancouver chapter clubhouse, called Moore "a nice man" and said he was shocked at the murder.
Ciarniello refused to disclose Thursday if he had spoken to the RCMP about Smith's disappearance."I have nothing to say about that," Ciarniello said. "I am not going to say anything about it."At Smith and Krogstad's sentencing hearing, prosecutor Martha Devlin laid out the Crown case against the pair. She said the police agent began meeting Smith in June 2003 at his Langley home and was soon purchasing kilos of cocaine for $39,600 each. Some of the coke was delivered to a nearby Wendy's restaurant. The agent would leave the code 666 on Smith's pager as a signal to meet at the restaurant. Some of the coke was sold to the agent by Smith in Cache Creek and Boston Bar.At one point, when the police agent complained his kilogram was an ounce "short," Smith arranged a meeting with the agent and Krogstad, who was also charged with trafficking cocaine in Prince George with the Renegades and Moore.
When Smith was arrested, police found $73,000 at his house. In addition to a four-year sentence, Smith had to pay $100,000, but was allowed to use the seized cash towards the fine.His lawyer, David Martin, said at the time that Smith was single and had spent his entire life as an auto-body repairman.
Project Essen was the first major RCMP operation against the Hells Angels in B.C. and resulted in nine people convicted - four connected to the Vancouver chapter and the other five from the puppet Renegades.
Smith and Krogstad both got early parole in March 2007 due to their good behaviour.
But Smith was banned from associating with members of the biker gang until after the expiry of his warrant on Nov. 6, 2009, according to National Parole Board documents obtained by The Sun."There were no reasonable grounds to believe that, if released, you are likely to commit an offence involving violence before the expiry of your sentence," the parole board said.But board members also said Smith must recognize that his "association with people involved in criminal activity and criminal organizations was a causal factor in your criminal behaviour. You must therefore avoid any person you know or suspect is affiliated with an outlaw motorcycle gang or other organized criminal group."
"This condition is reasonable and necessary to protect society and to facilitate your successful reintegration as a law-abiding citizen," the board said.
The board noted that Smith's criminal record wasn't clear prior to the police sting that resulted in 11 charges against him.
"Though you have a number of convictions dating back to 1975 and 1993 that involved violent behaviour, the board is satisfied that you were a low risk for future violence," the parole documents said.Your affiliations with members of an outlaw motorcycle group and involvement in the drug trade were issues that had the potential of increasing your risk for violence. None of these have been in evidence since your day parole began

Dounche Jones, 19, is the man police say killed 46-year-old David Babcock while he was riding his bike last week to work.

David Babcock, 46, was killed last week while he was riding his bike to work.
Police won't go into detail as to what led to Thursday's early morning arrest on July 24. But we know the teen they arrested is charged with murder.
Police say he also has gang ties, which is keeping the Babcock family even more on edge. Dounche Jones, 19, is the man police say killed 46-year-old David Babcock while he was riding his bike last week to work.One of Babcock's relatives said, "Why somebody that young? And why would you do it?""See someone totally innocent lose his life for what? The most he had was a couple of bucks and a bike," says Toledo Police Captain Ray Carroll.
While riding down Western Avenue, police say Babcock was stopped by Jones. "I don't know if he tried to get the bike, or if he tried to get something else," says Captain Carroll, "Mr. Babcock put up a fight, and he was shot."Babcock's relative tells us, "Knowing him, he went down fighting. That's why his last words were **** you."Police say Jones took nothing, even leaving the bike at the scene. Then went into hiding. They say he admitted to being a gang member in that area. Also, he may have not wanted anyone unfamiliar on his turf. Babcock's relative says, "The question I have for everybody... what is a gang? What are you representing? All you're doing is causing trouble for the neighborhood. Why can't everyone live in peace.?A week later, police picked up Jones on the same street. They say he was drinking underage. After questioning him, they arrested him for Babcock's murder.
Now the slain man's family members are keeping their identities hidden for protection. However, they do plan to show up to court and follow Jones' case through.
Babcock's family member tells us, "We want to make sure this person gets what they deserve. For somebody to do that, he knew what he was about to do."

Chad Wilson and John Midmore have been moved to the Minnehaha County Jail

We have learned that the two members of the Hells Angels who are accused of sparking a gun fight in 2006 have been moved to the Minnehaha County Jail.Chad Wilson and John Midmore are charged with attempted murder, conspiracy and weapons violations in their role in a shooting that injured six members of a rival motorcycle gang.

San Jose on pace to surpass last year's spike in homicides. Of the city's 36 homicide victims last year, 16 were gang slayings.

19-year-old man Thursday became San Jose's 20th homicide this year in what appeared to be a gang-related fight, police said.The teenager was walking with a group of about four or five other male teens near the intersection of Kammerer and Oakland avenues when he was stabbed at about 8 p.m., said San Jose police officer Enrique Garcia.At the time, several suspected gang members approached the group and a fight broke out, Garcia said, with one of the teens pulling out a knife and stabbing the victim several times.The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died a few hours later. His identity was not released. No suspect is in custody.
Thursday's killing puts the city on pace to surpass last year's spike in homicides. Of the city's 36 homicide victims last year, 16 were gang slayings.
To help stem the violence, the San Jose City Council approved a budget plan that beefs up its 1,370-member force by 25 officers next year and 100 by 2012.

Fresh Off the Boat and Fresh Off the Boat Killers ,Calgary is in the midst of a bloody gang war

Calgary is in the midst of a bloody gang war, the city's top cop said he fears an innocent will wind up caught in the crossfire.
"I would absolutely expect more shootings," Rick Hanson said yesterday, a day after a man survived a brazen execution-style shooting on a busy downtown street to become the latest chapter in a violent struggle between two rival gangs. "That's always our concern, that an innocent person is going to get shot -- it's happened in other jurisdictions, it can happen here." Hanson confirmed the man in his 20s, shot in the Beltline by several masked gunman in the middle of the afternoon Monday, was an associate of slain gangster Roger Chin. This incident is the latest sortie in a war between two groups -- Fresh Off the Boat and Fresh Off the Boat Killers -- that, since 2001, has left a dozen dead and many others wounded. The man, listed in serious but stable condition last night, had been under surveillance by the gang unit and was out on bail for a June 24, 2007, assault in Banff. Acting Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta of the gang unit said the two groups have been engaged in a bloody conflict, which has little prospect of abating until one side or the other is wiped out. "There are numerous acts of violence between both these groups and, of course, every one of these shootings occurs in a public place, which obviously concerns us greatly," he said. "After every act of gang violence we expect a retaliation to occur -- the dispute that they're engaged in has to do with a lot of interpersonal disputes and hatred which is very difficult for police to stop." In the weeks following Chin's slaying, police stepped up efforts to monitor gang members, ensuring they abide by curfews and court-ordered conditions, and then showed up en masse at his funeral last weekend to try to thwart more bloodshed.
"We are not going to be anything less than vigilant. We are not going to ease up," Hanson said. "Do we worry about an innocent person being killed? Absolutely we do and there isn't a police officer you talk to who wouldn't express that concern and that's why we're doing everything we can."
Calgary has 12 active gangs and some 400 members vying to compete in the burgeoning cocaine trade, leading to confrontations in some very public locations.

Hundreds of members of the notorious biker gang are gathering at the Hells Angels clubhouse in Langley, B.C., this weekend

Hundreds of members of the notorious biker gang are gathering at the Hells Angels clubhouse in Langley, B.C., this weekend to mark the anniversary of the chapters in Vancouver, Nanaimo and White Rock.The Hells Angels are celebrating their 25th anniversary in parts of B.C., and an expert in biker gangs says they're still at the top of the criminal pack.The B.C. Lower Mainland has recently seen a wave of gang violence that has left dozens dead, but author Yves Lavigne says those killings have largely involved fledgling Asian street gangs.Lavigne, who's written several books on the Hells Angels, says newer gangs are far more violent than an established group like the Angels, who prefer bribes and intimidation over guns to solve their problems.But just because the Hells Angels have a lower profile, Lavigne says the public shouldn't think the bikers aren't a menace.He says the group has learned to keep its activities under the public radar and learn from their mistakes, allowing them to evade the law and maintain their power.

Members of the Gangster Disciples arrested Friday in early-morning raids

Seventeen drug-dealing suspects believed to be members of the Gangster Disciples street gang were arrested Friday in early-morning raids in Maywood.
The arrests followed a five-month undercover investigation—dubbed Operation Summer Heat—that involved undercover officers using surveillance technology to nab the suspects, who sold cocaine and heroin, police said.Several state and federal law-enforcement agencies assisted the Maywood Police Department with arrests and preliminary operations, including the U.S. Marshals Service, Illinois State Police, the Cook County sheriff's gang unit, the Cook County state's attorney's office and the Hillside and Broadview Police Departments.Maywood Police Sgt. Tim Curry said the suspects will face a range of charges, including delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school or church. Police have not yet released their names.
Police said most of the suspects will appear in Bond Court on Saturday and Monday.

Lucia Riina, the daughter of notorious Sicilian mob Salvatore "Toto" Riina, married Vincenzo Bellomo

Lucia Riina, the daughter of notorious Sicilian mob Salvatore "Toto" Riina, married Vincenzo Bellomo on Wednesday in the Italian town of Corleone.
Riina, 28, married Bellomo, a 34-year-old salesman, in a publicized wedding in Corleone's Immaculata church in front of 100 invited guests and journalists.Riina was given away by her brother, Giuseppe, as her father, the Mafia's former "boss of bosses", sat in prison. Giuseppe, 30, was released from jail in February after serving time for Mafia crimes.
Brother Giovanni and uncle Leoluca Bagarella, also Mafia bosses, missed the wedding because they are incarcerated. Giovanni is serving two life sentences for murder and their father has been in jail since 1993."Our thoughts go to those who could not be here,” the groom, Vincenzo Bellomo, told the guests, according to reports in Italian newspapers.
Lucia's mother, Ninetta Bagarella, who is also the sister of Leoluca Bagarella, wore black and carried her daughter's veil.Riina is currently service 12 life sentences for crimes that include the 1992 murders of anti-Mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. In May, the Italy Supreme Court ruled Riina, 78, must remain in a high-security prison because he is too dangerous.Riina is described as the real "Godfather" as he was a powerful Mafia boss who was raised in Corleone, similar to the epic movie's main character Vito Corleone, who was played by Marlon Brando. Riina became the boss of the Corleonesi in 1974 and ran the family during the Second Mafia War, which took place from 1981 until his arrest in 1993. During his reign, the Corleonesi became the most powerful family in Sicily's Cosa Nostra.

Hells Angels, Rebels, Bandidos, Black Uhlans, Outcasts and Finks groups raided

Police have today arrested 12 outlaw motorcycle gang members on a range of drugs and weapons charges in the second phase of Operation Golf Cyclone.Two women and 10 men were nabbed on a total of 20 charges after police found drugs including cannabis and methylamphetamines, as well as weapons including two batons and a pellet paint gun.
The arrests in the Redcliffe, Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, Maryborough, Gympie and Bundaberg districts bring to 24 the total number of gang members charged during the Operation.A police statement said officers from Task Force Hydra targeted places known to the Hells Angels, Rebels, Bandidos, Black Uhlans, Outcasts and Finks groups.
North Coast regional crime coordinator Superintendent John Maloney said officers would continue to crackdown on organised crime within the region."Through the ongoing commitment of local police to keep their communities safe, operations such as these will continue to be conducted, ensuring those who are involved in criminal activities will be located and prosecuted," Mr Maloney said.The 12 alleged offenders will all face local courts next month

Daniel "Dango" Dennard was attacked as he was stopped on his motorcycle at a red light on Bayshore Boulevard

Daniel "Dango" Dennard, 23, of Antioch was attacked as he was stopped on his motorcycle at a red light on Bayshore Boulevard at Industrial Street, a busy roadway near the intersection of Highway 101 and Interstate 280.
San Francisco homicide Inspector John Cleary said Sunday that Dennard had just finished his shift at a job site two blocks away when he was gunned down at 7:20 p.m. A man got out of a car that apparently had been following Dennard, walked up and fired four times, Cleary said.
Dennard, who grew up in the neighborhood but recently moved to the East Bay with his girlfriend and child, was involved in one of the most high-profile murder cases in San Francisco in recent memory but escaped prosecution when the key witness was slain.In late 2005, he was indicted on charges of slaying 20-year-old Arkeylius Collins and, in the same attack, the attempted murder of basketball standout Terrell Rollins. Rollins survived the attack and agreed to help prosecutors. He said at the time he was helping them because of what happened to him, which left him unable to play basketball, and because of what happened to Collins. When he appeared before a San Francisco grand jury that was investigating the case, Rollins identified Dennard as one of the gunmen in that attack. As the key witness against Dennard Rollins was put under witness protection. Within months of Dennard's indictment, however, Rollins strayed from the witness-protection program, left his hotel in Millbrae and returned to San Francisco. Rollins, who was then 22 years old, was killed on May 4, 2006, while getting his van repaired at an auto shop on Bayshore Boulevard.
Dennard was behind bars when Rollins was killed but was freed after his slaying because of the death of the only witness against him. In an apparent coincidence, Dennard was slain just a few blocks from the auto repair shop where Rollins was killed.As Dennard and his motorcycle fell to the pavement, the gunman returned to his vehicle and continued north on Bayshore, police said. Dennard was pronounced dead at 10:42 p.m. at San Francisco General Hospital. Investigators did not release a description of the suspect or vehicle.While it was not immediately clear why Dennard was targeted, he had survived an attack earlier this year and one in November 2004 in which he was shot in the waist, police say. Police repeatedly arrested him - though charges rarely stuck - and have accused him of being a member of the Oakdale Mob, which has feuded with other San Francisco gangs in Bayview-Hunters Point.Under City Attorney Dennis Herrera's first civil gang injunction, which was approved by a judge in late 2006, Dennard and 21 others were slapped with a curfew and barred from congregating outside the run-down public housing project known as Oakdale.After Dennard was arrested in October in Bayview-Hunters Point on suspicion of armed robbery and carjacking, Deputy Police Chief Morris Tabak referred to him as the city's "worst of the worst." However, charges were later dropped over problems with the credibility of witnesses.Dennard's attorney, who defended him in the Collins homicide and other cases, said Dennard was working as a construction apprentice and moved away from the city to start his family. "It's very sad. Daniel was making something of his life," said Floyd Andrews, a former San Francisco homicide prosecutor. "He was one of my ... success stories. I heard he was going to work, working every day, staying out of San Francisco. He was doing good."
Steve Vender, a private investigator who has helped in Dennard's defense, said the young man had come in for an appointment with his probation officer within the last few weeks. He was wearing his construction clothes and hard hat, Vender said. "The irony was not lost on me," Vender said of the fact that Dennard was killed on the same street as Rollins, coming back to the city he had been told to keep away from. "He (Dennard) was offered an extra shift, working in his trade. He was working. He wasn't hanging out or anything."He was told to stay away from the city," Vender said. "We told him that early on."
When he was killed, Dennard was on probation for a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident, the only charge that stuck in what was originally a carjacking case filed last year, Andrews said. That case, too, fell apart, because of credibility problems with the alleged victim.Vender said Dennard's criminal record was overblown by police.
"You've got all those arrests and you go back and look at them, they were for minor things, trespassing, having a joint. They were looking to stretch those things," Vender said. "The word got around what a bad guy, what a killer Dennard was. I never believed the stuff. The fact of the matter is: If you are going to charge guys with that, they have to stand up."
Officer Len Broberg, a member of the gang task force, said Sunday that earlier this year, Dennard was the target of an ambush in Daly City, but was not injured. Broberg also said Dennard had long been involved in gang activities.
"He had a reputation in the streets, and I think that reputation may have caught up with him."

Bunty ‘killer-biker’ gang the most-wanted gang

Ten days since they hit the notoriety list by allegedly gunning down three youths in a matter of minutes in south Delhi, the Bunty ‘killer-biker’ gang has now become a huge headache, and the most-wanted gang, for Delhi Police.
The gang’s kingpin — Bunty, alias Om Prakash — has been declared the most-wanted criminal in the Capital. The police had last week declared a reward of Rs 50,000 per head for information leading to the arrest of the five-member gang. This takes the total reward amount to Rs 2.5 lakhs for the gang — the most reward on information on any gang in recent times. The police crackdown has, in recent times, successfully negated gangs such as those led by Kishan Pehalwan and Vijay Bodha among others. But then arrived Bunty and his gang, and reportedly shot dead five people within a few weeks, prompting police to come up with a new most-wanted list.
Police officials said all units of Delhi Police — Special Operation Squad of Crime Branch, Special Cell, Special Staff of all the districts — are now on the lookout for this gang. A senior police official (name withheld on request) said: “Most of the wanted criminals in Delhi Police’s records are those who are either involved in individual cases or are absconding for a long time. Bunty and his gang suddenly arrived on the scene and, within a matter of two weeks, he is topping our most-wanted list of criminals.” The gang is suspected to have shot dead two youths — Arshneet, 28, and Hardeep, 26 — in south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar area on July 11 evening. Within barely 15 minutes, the gang allegedly shot another man — Sanjeev, 32 — under the Andrews Ganj flyover. The gang members were on two bikes, one of them taken from the first two deceased, the police had said.
Within 24 hours, another shootout was reported from Madangir — again in south Delhi — where the gang allegedly shot at two people, Naresh and Pawan. According to the police official, other criminals in Delhi Police’s most-wanted list are all “desperate criminals”, like Ravinder Kumar, wanted in several cases. Kumar was convicted to life sentence but managed to escape while in police custody. He also has a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Arrested are members or associates of the following gangs: Brown Pride, Imperial Gangsters, Insane Deuces, Latin Kings, Norteños-14, Sureños-13,

Arrested by ICE agents earlier this week was Valentin Sierra-Martinez, a 20-year-old "Norteño-14" gang member. Arrested July 14 in Elgin, Ill., Sierra-Martinez is an illegal alien from Mexico with prior criminal convictions for residential burglary, domestic battery, possessing drug paraphernalia, and knowingly damaging property. He remains in ICE custody pending deportation to Mexico.
ICE agents also arrested 23-year-old Mauricio Vega-Cruz July 14 in West Chicago. Vega-Cruz, a self-admitted member of the 18th Street gang, was twice deported to Mexico in 2007 and illegally re-entered the U.S. He has criminal convictions in Arizona for misconduct involving weapons and drug paraphernalia, as well as arrests for drugs, aggravated assault, and discharging a firearm in city limits. Vega-Cruz remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.
Of the 49 men arrested, 42 had criminal histories; some of their convictions and arrests include: drunken driving, drug possession, aggravated battery, burglary, theft, and domestic battery.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents here, in close partnership with local law enforcement officers, made 49 arrests in a four-day operation targeting illegal aliens with ties to violent street gangs in Chicago's northern and northwest suburbs this week. This is the latest joint local action of an ongoing national ICE effort to target foreign-born gang members.These arrests were made under an ongoing national ICE initiative called "Operation Community Shield," in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the significant public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs. Partnerships with local law enforcement agencies are essential to the success of the initiative, and they help further ensure officer safety during the operations.
The multi-agency operation, which began Sunday night and ended Wednesday night, targeted foreign-born gang members and associates in the northern and northwest suburbs. Of the 49 arrested, 48 are Mexican nationals; one is from Guatemala. All are illegal aliens with the exception of one U.S. permanent resident whose criminal convictions make him eligible for deportation.Forty seven of those arrested are members or associates of the following gangs: Brown Pride, Imperial Gangsters, Insane Deuces, Latin Kings, Norteños-14, Sureños-13, and the 18th Street Gang. Two of those arrested had no known gang affiliations but are deportable because they are in the U.S. illegally.Nine of those arrested had been previously deported. It is a felony to re-enter the United States after being formally deported punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison."Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout this area," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Chicago. "We will not tolerate violent gang activity in our communities, and will use all of our law enforcement tools to thwart criminal efforts of street gangs. Operation Community Shield shows how ICE works with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal organizations and help protect our communities."ICE was assisted in the operation by the following local agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the sheriffs' departments of Cook, Boone, DuPage and Winnebago Counties; and the police departments of Addison, Belvidere, Bensenville, Elgin, Franklin Park, Harvard, Mt. Prospect, West Chicago, Wheeling and Woodstock.Since ICE began Operation Community Shield in February 2005, more than 8,900 gang members belonging to more than 700 different gangs have been arrested nationwide. More information on Operation Community Shield is available at: http://www.ice.gov .

Brian Lee Hall a member of the biker gang's Mission City chapter, was arrested under an extradition warrant

RCMP say they've arrested a member of the Hells Angels biker gang in northern B.C. to face extradition to the United States.Brian Lee Hall was to appear before a Supreme Court judge Tuesday, after being arrested by RCMP late last week at a motorcycle drag race in Fort St. John, B.C.Hall has been indicted in the U.S. on charges including conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana and conspiracy to launder money.Police say Hall, a member of the biker gang's Mission City chapter, was arrested under an extradition warrant obtained by the RCMP drug section.He was the subject of a two-year, cross-border investigation involving U.S. and Canadian authorities.

Steven Halamboulis charged with two counts of rape and one of false imprisonment of the 19-year-old girl, who says she was raped by the Black Uhlans

Steven Halamboulis, 43, of Reservoir, has been charged with two counts of rape and one of false imprisonment of the 19-year-old girl, who says she was raped at the motel by members of the Black Uhlans.Halamboulis was charged after he and four other gang members provided DNA samples. The alleged rape occurred after the woman met the gang members at a Lakes Entrance pub. She told police she had her drink spiked and was then lured to the motel where, feeling intimidated, she got into the the motel's pool with some of the men.She says she was then attacked by six men, some of whom held her down while she was being raped. She was then taken to a room and repeatedly raped again by several men.Eventually, the woman was able to use her mobile phone to call a friend, who came to the motel with several other people and demanded that the woman be released.Local police arrived around the same time and negotiated for the woman to be released. She has told police that as she left the motel bikies formed a line and whispered threats to her.When Sexual Crimes Squad members arrived the next day, three of the bikies denied that a sexual assault had taken place, while two declined to talk to police.However, after negotiations with the high-ranking gang member, police were given five names, of whom two were full club members and three were associates of the club. The men at first refused to be DNA tested, then consented.A Wodonga man, 43, a Geelong man and Hoppers Crossing man, both 34, and a Sunshine man, 36, were also interviewed by detectives.

Elliott "Cisco" Valderrama,and Gavin Malone Oakland Hells Angels chapter were arrested after 58 marijuana plants, guns and cash were seized

president and sergeant of arms of the Oakland Hells Angels chapter were arrested this morning after 58 marijuana plants, guns and cash were seized at two sites in Oakland and Alameda, authorities said.
Another man and three women were also arrested during the raids.The raids began about 7 a.m. at a trailer in the 1100 block of Fifth Avenue in Oakland and at a home in the 2200 block of San Antonio Avenue in Alameda.
Five of the arrests happened at the Oakland site, including 66-year-old Elliott "Cisco" Valderrama, who authorities said is the president of the Oakland Hells Angels chapter. Authorities said Valderrama lived at the site.
Arrested at the Alameda residence was Gavin Malone, who authorities said is the chapter's sergeant at arms.The names of the others arrested were not immediately available.The investigation that led to the raids and arrests was started more than a month ago by Alameda County sheriff's deputies who are assigned to the Peralta Community College District police force.Sheriff's Sgt. Marty Neideffer said deputies detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the area of the trailer, which is just a few blocks from Laney College.The investigation was eventually turned over to the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force which developed enough evidence that led to the raids. Assisting in the raids were the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, sheriff's deputies and the Alameda and Oakland police


departments.
Authorities said the majority of the plants were found at the Oakland location as was a large amount of cash. Several guns were found at the two locations as well, authorities said.

Authorities did not release what charges the six were arrested on

Nikica Jelavic was arrested yesterday in Slovenia for deceit in a court proceeding in Germany

Nikica Jelavic was arrested yesterday in Slovenia for deceit in a court proceeding in Germany. According to Interpol, he is also wanted for theft and an illegal stay. Now Jelavic has turned to construction work. According to Globus, he has the main word as far as the construction of the new neighbourhood in Laniste is concerned, which is located next to the Zagreb’s future Arena (sports hall). He is also into a management job by controlling the career of his nephew and former player for the Hajduk football club, Nikica Jelavic.However, now the uncrowned king of Zagreb’s underground will delay his business plans in Croatia, because he will probably face a two month stay in a Slovenian prison, after which he will move to the interior of Germany’s justice system. Published: July 11, 2008 02:46h
Jelavic (38) called Boxer, was born in Gabela near Capljine. He finished high school and served his compulsory military service in Sarajevo. After serving in the army, Jelavic was a boxer for a while in the club “Metalac”, and this is why he gained the nickname “Boxer”. During the eighties, he mainly worked as a bouncer at various discos, and during the nineties he started to trade money. Today, he lives with his wife and three children in a villa worth a few million kuna in Zagreb’s Cmrok.After the death of Zlatko Bagaric, Jelavic was called upon as the suspected successor to Bagaric’s criminal organization, and it is no secret that both of them were godfathers, and that they have always been very close. Shortly after Lazar Rodic killed the “big boss” of Zagreb’s underground in front of a café bar in the suburb of Dubrava, it is considered that Jelavic took over his business.On the other hand, meaning opposition to Jelavic, is Vjeko Slisko, a man that the media said was the only person that could stand up to Bagaric’s clan.Slisko slowly built his business with games machines, and started gathering an increasing number of supporters. Allegedly, Slisko started endangering the business that Jelavic was a successor to, and people from Bagaric’s clan were convinced that Slisko order the murder of Damir Dzebe. It was Jelavic who was a suspect for the attempted murder of Slisko at the start of 1995. At the time, unknown perpetrators fired automatic weapons at Vjeko Slisko and Juraj Dodic on Maksimir Street. Slisko was seriously injured in the shooting, and the first suspect to be arrested was Nikica Jelavic. However, due to a lack of evidence, he was soon freed of charges.Jelavic was in a similar position after another attempted murder on Vjeko lisko in 1999, after which followed the spectacular arrest of the criminal organization, the infamous “boys from Knezija”.He was accused of firing a handheld rocket (zolja) towards Slisko’s bullet-proof jeep in front of the cultural-information centre in Preradoviceva Street in the centre of Zagreb. The projectile, probably because of the close distance it was fired from, bounced off the car and hit the passer by Zoran Dominij in the stomach. Domini died instantly.Jelavic was put on trial, a detailed reconstruction of the event was carried out, but he was released again.
After the death of an innocent passer by, the Croatian police embarked on the largest arrest mission on Zagreb’s underground. The morning after the rocket attack in the centre of Zagreb, the following people were arrested: Nikica Jelavic (37), Rajko Momcilovic Riba (31), Velibor Momcilovic Lola (26), Davor Zecevic Zec (32), Djordje Vuletic Djoko (37), Tvrtko Tomicic Tvrdi (38), Radovan Stetic (40) and Miroslav Vukovic Olio (40). They were all considered to be members of Bagaric’s clan. Jelavic was freed of all charges just like many from the “criminal organization”, and he even filed a law suit against Croatia for the time he spent in confinement.It is interesting to mention that after the boys from Knezija were arrested, Slisko told the press on one occasion that he does not know anybody from that group of people, and that he has absolutely nothing against them, and that he would not recognize Nikica Jelavic if they met on the street. In an attempt to explain to the police why there have been four attempted murders on him, Slisko said that it does not have anything to do with crime. Slikso gave the inspector an counter question “They shot at the Pope, does that mean that he is a criminal?”.
Jelavic has also been charged with other things besides running a criminal organization, for which 20 criminal acts are tied. He has been charged with the extortion of four million kuna from Vladimir Hartek and 20 million kuna from the company Kombial, which is owned by Ivan Majher, as well as hundreds of thousands of kuna from the doctor Boris Ljahnicky, which he carried out with his alleged partners Blaz Petrovic and Zoran Pripuz. Jelavic held the company “Palma” with Pripuz, which works with funeral services. Certain sources have given information that says that Franjo Tudjman’s coffin was ordered from Jelavic’s company.

Underworld figure Dominic "Mick" Gatto was among more than 400 mourners to today farewell alleged mafia boss Rosario "Ross" Gangemi.

Underworld figure Dominic "Mick" Gatto was among more than 400 mourners to today farewell alleged mafia boss Rosario "Ross" Gangemi.
Gangemi, 86, died on June 28 in John Fawkner Hospital after being diagnosed with leukaemia a month before.The great-grandfather was reportedly named as one of the top 10 mafia figures in the state in a confidential 1991 Victoria Police report, and was also alleged to have been linked with a murder at Queen Victoria Market in 1963.
Gangemi's son Nicholas today paid tribute to his father, a former prisoner of war, during a funeral service at St Monica's Catholic Church in Moonee Ponds.
He described his father as a leader who touched thousands of lives."He was a gentleman among gentlemen, a friend among friends and a leader among leaders," he said."He was a man with real values and real morals."Born in Calabria, Italy in 1922, Gangemi was the eldest of three sons, and was left the head of the family at the age of 15 when his father died.At 19, he joined the national service, serving in World War II for four years, two of those as a prisoner of war in Germany.
In 1951 he emigrated to Australia, but later returned to Italy to have one of his kidneys removed. He came back to Australia in 1959.Nicholas Gangemi said that despite several tragedies - including the death of his first wife, and his daughter Maria, who he had with his second wife - Gangemi worked harder than ever, often 100 hours a week."He was a man who touched thousands of people," his son said.
"He was a selfless person who always put others before him."Granddaughter Amanda said Gangemi was "a hero in our eyes, a man like no other".
"He was just like a willow tree; resilient and strong."After a requiem mass at St Monica's, Gangemi's large family left the church in three black, stretch limosines to head to the Keilor Mausoleum.He leaves behind his wife, Pasqualina, sons Sam, Nicholas and Joe, and his extended family.
Asked about Gangemi's criminal history, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said: "He did associate with figures who were known to police".

Gangland wars have turned Dublin into the Chicago of the 21st century

‘Dublin now resembles Chicago in the Roaring Twenties, when the gangsters were out of control,’ he said. ‘There is no joined-up strategy to fight these gangs, either at a national or international level. All of our drugs are imported, mostly by sea along Ireland’s coastline, yet we have no proper network with our fellow Europeans to patrol the seaboard. We don’t have enough boats, planes or helicopters to intercept the smuggling networks,’ he said.Gangland wars have turned Dublin into the Chicago of the 21st century, a TD and chairman of a drugs task force in the Irish capital said last night.Labour TD Joe Costello also revealed that a preliminary study by the Inner City Drugs Task Force has found that a majority of drug dealers arrested on serious offences were out on bail.Costello made his remarks following two more gangland-related murders in north Dublin this weekend. Gardai have launched a murder investigation following the fatal shooting of a 33-year-old man in Finglas early yesterday. The victim was named as Trevor Walsh, from Valley Park Road in Finglas. He had been serving a three-year prison sentence for possession of firearms, but was let out on temporary release on Thursday.The attack, which happened at about 12.20am outside a house on the Kippure Park estate, was the second fatal shooting in the capital in 24 hours.
A gunman approached the victim outside a house in the estate and shot him in the neck and chest, before fleeing the scene on a bicycle. It is understood that the killer used an automatic pistol. Walsh was taken to Blanchardstown Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 1am.The victim was associated with the late John Daly, a Dublin criminal who was shot dead last October. Walsh had been a member of a gang which specialised in importing drugs and armed robberies in the city.
It is not clear whether yesterday morning’s attack was connected to the shooting of a man in Coolock, north Dublin, on Friday afternoon. The man, named locally as 34-year-old Anthony Foster, was killed with a shotgun as he left a top-floor apartment at Cromcastle Court. Commenting on the latest gang-related shooting, Costello, who represents inner-city Dublin in the Dail, said there was no coherent plan to counter the rising number of killings.
Over the last three years there have been more than a dozen killings in north Dublin alone related to rival drugs gangs. Costello added that, while the Irish government talks tough in regard to Ireland’s gangland wars, the system remained loaded in the criminals’ favour. ‘We have found that the overwhelming majority of people arrested on serious drug offences almost all get bail and are back on the streets. The turf wars over who controls drug supplies in certain parts of Dublin have been fuelled by the easy availability of firearms and now explosives.’
Costello said the expertise of retired republican paramilitaries had been harnessed to arm and train the city’s criminal gangs.

Young men and women bid farewell yesterday to slain gang member Roger Chin

Young men and women bid farewell yesterday to slain gang member Roger Chin.
And as they gathered at the Chapel of the Bells, they were closely watched by both police and other criminal characters in a black SUV with tinted windows.
The 23-year-old Chin became Calgary's latest casualty of gang violence on July 5, when a hail of bullets hit his SUV. All the attention surrounding Chin's private farewell appeared to be unwelcome. But Organized Crime Operation Centre Det. Gord Eiriksson said police had to attend the funeral to protect public safety.
"We have had events where gang members have come to funerals with handguns," he said.

Gangland slaying of Trevor Walsh

murder of Trevor Walsh only two days after he was released from prison, and just 11 hours after another gangland murder in Dublin, is being linked to a feud between a former gang of Finglas robbers and drug dealers which broke up three years ago.
Feuding in Finglas had died down since last October's murder of the infamous Liveline prison cell caller, John Daly, who gardai said was an associate of Trevor Walsh, who was shot dead at 12.20am yesterday in Kippure Avenue.
A gunman, who gardai believe had been stalking Walsh since his release from prison on Thursday, shot him in the head with what gardai believe was an automatic handgun. He shot him in the head a second time as he lay on the ground.
Walsh (33) had just served over two years of a three-year sentence for possession of a firearm in Finglas in 2004. He had a lengthy criminal record, with more than 50 convictions. Local people said he was a heavy cocaine user.His murder came just 11 hours after the murder of Anthony Foster, 34, in Coolock. He was killed by a single shotgun blast to his head as he left his flat in Cromcastle Court with his partner to pick up his two young children from a creche. His partner was uninjured.
The killer escaped on a waiting motorcycle which gardai believe was stolen a short while earlier from a motorcycle shop on the Malahide Road. The owner was threatened with a shotgun and tied up during the robbery.Gardai said that they were uncertain why Foster, who was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in 2001 for possession of a large quantity of cannabis, was murdered, but it was possible he had been involved in a dispute with another local drug dealer. It is the second serious shooting in the area within a fortnight. Two weeks ago, Anthony Ayodeji, 21, was shot in the neck as he sat in a car in Darndale. A baby in the back seat of the car was unhurt, but was covered in blood and glass. Garda sources yesterday said there appeared to be no connection between the murder of Anthony Foster, in Coolock, and Trevor Walsh, in Finglas. Walsh was a close associate of John Daly, the 27-year-old robber and drug dealer who was shot dead last October as he sat in the front passenger seat of a taxi. Daly created a furore when he phoned into RTE's Liveline show from his cell in Portlaoise Prison. Subsequently more than 2,000 mobile phones were found in prison searches and much stricter regimes were enforced to disrupt the drugs trade into jails. Gardai believe that leading gangs figures angered by the clampdown caused by Daly ordered his murder.Another associate of Walsh's was Declan Curran, who died from a drugs overdose while serving a prison term in November 2004. After Curran's death the gang disintegrated and former associates started killing each other. At one point the rate of murders in Finglas surpassed that of Limerick and even the Crumlin and Drimnagh district, which wamurder of Trevor Walsh was at the centre of another feud that has claimed 11 lives. The Crumlin and Drimnagh area, however, has resumed its reputation for bloodletting, with eight murders since last October.

Tiny Rascal Gang, a group from California whose members are largely of Southeast Asian descent

10-month investigation into illegal gang activity in Lowell culminated in 10 arrests Friday, as well as the seizure of several bags of marijuana and nearly $70,000 in cash, according to the Boston Globe.The raid also netted more than a dozen firearms, including semiautomatic handguns, a MAC-11 machine pistol, and a rifle with a bayonet attached, police say.City, state and federal police officers took part in the investigation, which targeted the Tiny Rascal Gang, a group from California whose members are largely of Southeast Asian descent. Police Superintendent Kenneth Lavallee said the gang now has roughly 100 members in the Lowell area, following an increase in the city’s Cambodian population. "We're talking a violent criminal enterprise that was very significant in the city of Lowell," Lavallee said. "We've made a major move here.”The Tiny Rascals have allegedly been involved in a series of violent crimes over the last 10 years, including 5 homicides and over 20 assaults.
Mayor Edward C. Caulfield was shocked at the extent of the gang's firepower, which allegedly also included a range of rare knives. "Believe me, I've never seen anything like these things in my life," Caulfield said. "It's almost like a James Bond movie."Among the alleged gang members arrested yesterday, four were charged in federal indictments, police Lieutenant William Busby said.
Shane Carney, 32, was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Eden Hok, 22, was charged with dealing guns without a license. Vila Malakham, 24, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Saravy Sok, 19, was charged with possessing an unregistered firearm.Four people were arrested on state indictments, Busby said.Savong Moun, 22, was charged with three counts of distributing the drug ecstasy. Eric O'Brien, 23, was charged with three counts of distributing benzylpiperazine and three counts of distributing a counterfeit drug. Jonathan Sheehan, 27, and Sophandara Sok, 18, were charged with possession of gun ammunition without proper identification, selling a gun and ammunition without a license, and unlawful possession without a license.Two other men, Ricardo Plaza and Francisco Mejias, were arrested on federal warrants for selling more than 100 grams of heroin, Busby said.Lowell police, State Police, US Attorney Michael Sullivan's office, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI contributed to the investigation, officials said.Additional charges will likely be filed against the defendants, according to Busby. He described the initial arrests as an effort to get the suspects behind bars while more information is uncovered.

Toronto gangland three young men were killed by gunshots

Police in Toronto's west end encountered a gruesome murder scene this morning. As of this writing there is still no official announcement of the cause of the deaths from Toronto police, but media reports confirm three young men were killed by gunshots.
The police found three people shot dead in a vehicle located at Valermo and Lunness roads at 3:40 a.m. They haven't released the genders or ages of the victims, or even how they died. Police said all three suffered "from trauma" and that all three had been pronounced dead. But Toronto radio stations reported that sources with Emergency Medical Services in the city said the three died from gunshot wounds.
It's almost a sure bet these deaths are drug and gang related -- as are almost all the gun killings in major urban centres in Canada.

Gardai have smashed a guns-for-sale racket in which suspected former members of the Provisional IRA supplied firearms to a drug trafficking gang

Officers believe the suppliers were linked more recently with the dissident republican group, the Continuity IRA, but were also heavily involved in criminal activities. Gardai have smashed a guns-for-sale racket in which suspected former members of the Provisional IRA supplied firearms to a drug trafficking gang in north Dublin.They think the gang, based in Co Louth, was selling guns to a drugs gang operating in the Coolock area on the northside of the capital.
The breakthrough in the garda investigation came on Thursday night when armed gardai stopped two cars in Castlebellingham and Haggardstown, outside Dundalk.
This followed a surveillance operation on several targeted figures. Detectives recovered an old Webley revolver, which was loaded, as well as ammunition and some cash. Two men from Dundalk were arrested and taken to the local garda station. A man and a woman from Coolock were brought to Carrickmacross station but were released without charge last night. The two held in custody were questioned under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for a maximum of three days without charge. The garda operation involved detectives from the Louth division and members of the Emergency Response Unit and the National Surveillance Unit.
Senior garda officers said last night they did not regard the Louth gang as major suppliers of firearms to Dublin-based drug dealers.
But they described the seizure and arrests as significant, as the incident meant that the gardai had severed a vital pipeline for weapons. The operation is part of on-going garda inquiries involving the national bureau of criminal investigation, the Special Branch and the crime and intelligence section at garda headquarters into the supply of weapons to crime gangs and their connections with members of former or active paramilitary groups. Inquiries are also being carried out to establish the initial source of the guns. Some of the weapons seized by gardai from crime gangs in the past couple of years are known to have been smuggled into the country as "sweeteners" with drug shipments. But other firearms have been sourced overseas by the renegade republican groups, who have been trying to build up their own arsenals since the Provisional IRA declared a ceasefire, and have developed contacts in central and eastern European states. The Real IRA and the Continuity IRA managed to purchase a sizeable haul of explosives and weaponry in the Balkans in 1999. But a large portion of this shipment was recovered by gardai in a disused wine cellar on land at Herbertstown, near Stamullen, on the Dublin-Meath border. The following year a joint security operation involving gardai and international agencies led to a big arms and explosives shipment seizure in the Croatian town of Dobranje, near the Adriatic resort of Split.

Frederick Donahue Hells Angel wanted on murder charges surrendered to federal authorities

fugitive Hells Angel wanted on murder charges stemming from a 2002 biker gang melee has surrendered to federal authorities.
Prosecutors say Frederick Donahue of Rodeo, Calif. turned himself in earlier this month. He appeared Friday in a Las Vegas courtroom where his trial was schedule for Sept. 8. The 43-year-old motorcycle gang member vanished after indictments were handed down in the 2002 deadly brawl inside Harrah's hotel-casino in Laughlin, Nev.
Two members of the Hells Angels and one member of the rival Mongol gang were killed in the battle. Prosecutors say Donahue played a key role in the shooting.

Pattaya is plagued by massive gangs of armed motorbike racers, hundreds strong, intent on causing mayhem.

Pattaya is plagued by massive gangs of armed motorbike racers, hundreds strong, intent on causing mayhem. They regularly challenge each other to Mad Max-like races, almost always ending up with one or more being shot dead or seriously injured. Yet, again, on the night of July 13, 2008, there was an shooting incident with 1 death and 5 injuries. Police suspect that, apart from the armed gangs, there are also irate individuals, heartily tired of this motorbike racing menace, who also arm themselves, lie in wait and take the opportunity to blow away members of these gangs. At 01.30 am, on July 13, Pol.Lt.Col.Jakarin Tou-suparb, Banglamung Investigator, was notified that a six motorbike teenage gang members had been shot and injured. The gunshot victims had already been taken to Banglamung Hospital for treatment. The Chief-of-Police was informed and police team went to investigate.
At the hospital Emergency Room, police found the 6 injured teens: Mr.Sakda Namloon (16) shot in his left leg; Mr. Surasak Gnao-sri (18) shot in his left arm, right leg and in the head; Mr. Nattapol Ronruengsak (18) shot in the stomach; Mr. Wongwan Maliges (18) shot in his right arm; and Mr. Narin Keao-gaew (16) shot in the body. Most of these teenagers had sustained minor injuries; however, Mr. Twin Tengwises (21), who had sustained a serious stomach wound, had later died from his injuries.
Apparently, most of the injured teens were friends who live in Pattaya area and the periphery. They had come out on motorbikes to watch a motorbike race by other racing gangs that is usually set up on Road No. 331, every weekend, near the Pattaya International School under Banglamung police jurisdiction. After the race was over, the friends and others were riding home in groups. Suddenly, around the Pong sub-district Bridge and Krating-rai Road, a number of armed motorcyclists and a blue pick-up truck started chasing them, took a number of shots and then escaped. Many of motorbike teens were injured and some managed to reach hospital. Police know well that most Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and days off, groups of boys and girls in teen gangs congregate and then engage in motorbike races. Each group has at least 20 to 50 people on motorbikes and they generally cause a hazard and nuisance to locals and car drivers on the road. Each time that police try to arrest them, but they spread the alarm among themselves and manage to evade capture. Usually, they parade their motorbikes, modified for road-racing, on Road No. 331 and, very often, they get into fights or start shooting each other. There have been many deaths and injuries in the past among these gangs. But this time, they were shot by a number of mysterious gunmen who were on motorbikes and a pick-up truck. Police assume that these gunmen are people who have reached the end of their tether as regards the mad antics of the teenagers and acted as vigilantes, mostly shooting to scare, rather than kill. A police spokesman said they aim to crack down on these motorcycle gangs to avoid a repetition of the shootings; they already have numerous individuals on record. Police will continue to search for the perpetrators of the July 13 shootings, who will be prosecuted if caught.

Omprakash, Rajesh Sharma, Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Israil and Shiv Om. All had been arrested last year while planning to rob a petrol pump

Police commissioner Y S Dadwal has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information about the biker gang led by criminal Omprakash alias Bunty. The recent shooting spree in the Capital is being seen as the handiwork of the gang. The reward is for information on each of the gang members — Omprakash, Rajesh Sharma, Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Israil and Shiv Om. All had been arrested last year while planning to rob a petrol pump in Vasant Kunj, and were released on bail in February this year.
Police suspect the members are hiding somewhere along the Capital's border. Security in the area has been beefed up with police barricades and round the clock patrolling. Police have described Omprakash as a "bad character" from Sangam Vihar. He has been an active criminal since 1999 and is involved in as many as 25 cases of robbery, murder and attempt to murder. The modus operandi in the recent cases and his release from jail along with his accomplices makes him the prime suspect.
"The gang was involved in the murder of a property dealer in Sangam Vihar on July 4. It is suspected that after this murder, they hid for some time and then went on a killing spree in south Delhi," said a police officer.
Meanwhile, Bunty's family members claimed they have not heard from him for the last few months. "We lodged a missing complaint about Bunty in March this year. Most of the male members of our family have now been detained by the police," said a family member.

Tarek Chaiboub was gunned down in a barber’s shop on Spital Street in Burgreave on Friday.

Tarek Chaiboub, 17, from Wincobank, was gunned down in a barber’s shop on Spital Street in Burgreave on Friday.His father Rashid Chaiboub said: “I did not realise that his destiny was shaping outside of my hands.”
Police said Tarek, who died from gun shot wounds to his back, was probably carrying a gun when he was killed. At a police news conference Mr Chaiboub urged other parents to have a close relationship with their children to prevent similar deaths.
He added: “Our son Tarek was growing up as a self-confident shining boy with an independent personality which I was proud of.My message to parents is do not rely much on the independence of your kids Rashid Chaiboub, father of Tarek
“But he was not sharing much of his thoughts and feelings with us as a family.
“My message to parents is do not rely much on the independence of your kids. Get closer to them. Kids remain kids.”
The teenager who was known locally as GT had two sisters and a brother.
Police said they were pursuing some positive information from members of the public about the shooting, which could be gang-related.
Ch Supt Paul Broadbent said: “In my opinion there may well be a gang element involved in this particular crime.”
The senior officer said he could not yet confirm reports that the victim had been released from hospital a week earlier after a knife attack on him.
Mr Broadbent admitted Tarek was known to police before his death and said the investigation was looking at whether it was a gang-related attack.
The officer added: “This is a tragic, awful, loss of life. This was someone’s son, brother.”

United Nations Gang members were gunned down in a restaurant in Mexico during an ongoing wave of "drug-cartel-related violence,"

Elliott "Taco" Castaneda of Abbotsford and Ahmet Kaawach, who used to live in Metro Vancouver, died in the hail of bullets, the source said.
Two members of the Fraser Valley-based United Nations Gang were gunned down in a restaurant in Mexico during an ongoing wave of "drug-cartel-related violence," a police source told The Province yesterday."The two of them were in Mexico at a restaurant when a man came in with a machine gun and opened fire," said the police source. At least 21 people, including a 12-year-old girl, have been killed by warring drug gangs and police since last Thursday in the western state of Sinaloa, which includes the popular tourist resort of Mazatlan, in one of the worst outbreaks of violence in memory.Elliott Castaneda of Abbotsford was one of two members of the Fraser Valley-based United Nations gang killed in drug-related violence in the Mazatlan area.Castaneda worked as a real-estate agent for about two years with Homelife Glenayre Realty in Abbotsford but resigned last month, said company manager Walter Brown."It's very sad," said Brown of Castaneda's death. "I would describe him as a very quiet guy."I really don't know much about his personal life," said Brown."He actually quit our company last month. He gave notice last month and I think his licence got hung up in the first week of July. He quit the business."
Brown said his former employee "had very little to do with the office. He worked out of his house and he came in and resigned last month. And that's about it."
Castaneda, who was about 28 years old, attended Abbotsford junior and senior secondary schools, graduating in 1997.Kaawach was convicted and later deported from Canada to Lebanon after an arrest for weapons in Vancouver, said the police source. He was "very close friends" with Clayton Roueche, the alleged leader of the UN gang, the source also said.Roueche is currently being held in a Washington State jail on drug charges after being recently arrested in Texas when his plane landed from Cancun, Mexico. Roueche, who was travelling to Cancun for a friend's wedding, was denied entry to Mexico and despite his protests was put on a plane that made a stopover in Texas -- where he was arrested by U.S. authorities -- en route to Vancouver."Roueche travelled to Lebanon and met with Kaawach as the gang's Mexican drug connection, someone who could procure cocaine and other drugs, presumably to be smuggled to B.C," said the police source.Sgt. Shinder Kirk of the Integrated Gang Task Force said he is not aware of any UN gang involvement in the drug trade in Mexico."We certainly have heard that members of that group do travel to Mexico," said Kirk. "We do know of individuals involved in particular crime groups that do go down to Mexico. Now whether that's for vacation or business, there's no way to tell."
Meanwhile, the Mexican government said yesterday it was nearly tripling the police presence in Sinaloa state after the close to two dozen deaths and hostage-taking incidents by criminal gangs over the last week.More than 300 people have died in drug-related violence so far this year in Sinaloa -- about a fifth of the 1,700 people killed in cartel battles across Mexico -- as rival gangs fight each other amid an army-led government crackdown.

31-year old member of a gang called Brown Brotherhood is taken into custody

31-year old member of a gang called Brown Brotherhood is taken into custody by a parole agent during a multi-agency sweep at the 8700 block of Nogal Ave. in Whittier on Tuesday, July 15, 2008. A 22-caliber rifle, a crossbow and other weapons were found at the location. The parolee is looking at parole violation and charges, of being an ex-felon in possesion of a gun. Nine locations in Whittier, Pico Rivera and Norwalk were hit simultaneously early in the morning.

trespass warnings issued to two self-proclaimed Angels

dispute between The Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club and a local man claiming to be one led to the Bay County Sheriff's Office issuing trespass warnings to two self-proclaimed Angels Sunday. Paul Stevens was featured in a News Herald story June 25 after placing an ad in the paper calling for new members. Stevens said he was organizing the Hell's Angels first "sanctioned" chapter in Florida and would be selling their merchandise. He promised a sort of kinder, gentler image.
The story quickly spread across the Internet and drew attention from Hells Angels Motorcycle Club members from across the country. The News Herald also has been contacted by a man identifying himself as Fritz Clapp, who previously has represented the Hells Angels in various matters. Clapp said Stevens is not an Angel, has no right to sell the copyrighted merchandise, and that the club would be taking legal action against him. Clapp, in April, announced he was representing the cluband infamous founder Sonny Barger in a lawsuit against HBO for copyright infringement. The attempt to get paperwork to Stevens from the Angels apparently led to Sunday's call from Stevens' wife - complaining of two trespassers wearing Hells Angels colors - to the Sheriff's Office. According to an incident report, a deputy arrived at Stevens' residence Sunday afternoon and found two men on the propery, but away from the residence. They identified themselves as Hells Angels from out of state, and said they were "at the residence to give paperwork to Paul Stevens from the Hells Angels attorney."
The report did not state the nature of the paperwork. The men said there were three other angels traveling with them.

Mexico's most-wanted drug lord, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman Shootout between rival drug gangs in Sinaloa

Shootout between rival drug gangs in Sinaloa, Mexico, leaves trail of war behind. Shootout between alleged rival drug gangs set vehicles ablaze and damage houses as they battle for turf.Two groups of alleged drug traffickers were involved in a shootout at dawn in the northern city of Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa on Monday (July 14) where they set ablaze three vehicles and damaged four houses, according to authorities.There were no reports of injuries, deaths or arrests and the state attorney general's office said it was too early to report how many weapons or if drugs had been seized.As Federal Sinaloa Deputy, Daniel Amador Gaxiola stated, "We are living through the most difficult stages of modern history, if you can call it that. We regret what is happening in Sinaloa and people live in fear and uncertainty. However we have to recognize efforts being carried out by the government are trying to create results. Unfortunately, it's a problem that is out of our reach, of many forces of our society."A house which was used as a refuge by alleged drug traffickers was attacked with a spray of bullets and molotov bombs. The occupants fired back but then managed to escape when the house was set on fire together with two SUV vehicles which were parked inside.Another vehicle exploded and was burnt down. Authorities found three gas tanks in the rear seats. This event comes a after gunmen killed eight youths and a police Chief, and took dozens of restaurant patrons hostage for hours, in two attacks in the drug gang-ridden state of Sinaloa.Drug gang killings and shootouts in Mexico have soared to unprecedented levels.Some 1,700 people have died so far this year, as an army-led crackdown intensifies turf wars between rival gangs, whose hitmen are increasingly taking their battles public with daylight shootouts in busy streets.
Sinaloa state in northwestern Mexico is one of the areas most affected by drug violence and is home to Mexico's most-wanted drug lord, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.

Sinaloa Bloodbath Beltran Leyvas believe that Guzman ratted out their brother and have retaliated with a vengeance.

21 people, including a 12-year-old girl and other ordinary citizens, have been killed by warring drug gangs since Thursday in the western state of Sinaloa, in one of the worst spasms of violence in memory in a region long conditioned to narcotics-related savagery.The wave of deadly mayhem began with the audacious daytime shooting of a dozen people in the capital, Culiacan, and continued during the weekend and into Monday. The deaths of innocents, including the young girl, who had just left a party, have terrified the public and left many questioning the effectiveness of the federal government's ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking."Sinaloa Bloodbath" read a headline from El Sol de Sinaloa, a daily newspaper. The article Monday on its website was accompanied by a photo of corpses slumped in the back of a bullet-riddled pickup truck. An editorial in Monday's national daily El Universal questioned President Felipe Calderon's decision to aggressively pursue the nation's drug kingpins, a strategy the United States has encouraged and backed with millions of dollars in assistance."Direct confrontation has only escalated the violence," the newspaper said. "The worst thing that can happen is for us to become accustomed to the dramatic daily count of deaths and kidnappings caused by narcotics assassins."
Authorities were still sorting through the carnage in Sinaloa as the body count continued to rise Monday. But law enforcement and Mexican media accounts provided a picture of the relentless violence: On Thursday, gunmen in Culiacan shot dead six people inside an auto repair shop and three more outside. The victims included a 61-year-old university professor and his son, 37, also a professor. Later confrontations between the gunmen and authorities left three police officers dead.
Early Saturday in Culiacan, rival traffickers engaged in a shoot-out, using automatic weapons and bazookas in a neighborhood in the northern part of the city. Police reported no deaths or injuries in that 15-minute clash, but photos of the scene show the pavement littered with heavy-caliber shell casings and homes scarred with bullet holes.
On Saturday evening in the beach resort of Mazatlan, gunmen shot to death a high-ranking police official, then stormed a restaurant in a popular shopping mall, where they held patrons hostage before escaping. No customers were killed or injured. Photos from local newspapers show terrified shoppers running from the mall.
Early Sunday morning in the city of Guamuchil, eight people leaving a quinceañera party were shot to death in their vehicles while they waited at a stoplight. Among the dead were several teenagers and the 12-year-old girl. The guest of honor -- 15-year-old Maribel Lopez Marquez -- was also injured in the attack, according to police.
Early Monday, suspected rival drug gangs clashed again in a residential neighborhood in Culiacan. Assailants attacked a home with Molotov cocktails, burned vehicles and opened fire with high-powered weapons. No injuries or deaths were reported. But there were unconfirmed reports of two more drug-related shooting deaths in Mazatlan.
The state, home to the so-called Sinaloa cartel, headed by Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, has become a battleground for traffickers feuding for control of the drug trade. Calderon has sent 3,500 army troops and federal police to the region as part of a nationwide offensive that observers say has both helped and hurt the situation.
The effort has resulted in high-profile arrests as well as the seizures of large caches of drugs and weapons. But the removal of top leaders has set off a power struggle among underlings eager to use violence to establish authority.
"The old drug lords often acted as mediators" to keep the peace, said Jorge Chabat, a Mexico City-based security analyst. "The new, young guys are not disposed to negotiate."Mexico's drug war remains extremely fluid. Across the nation, established trafficking alliances are fracturing and new ones forming. On any given day, even veteran observers have difficulty figuring out who is fighting whom.Still, experts say some of the violence in Sinaloa stems from bad blood between cartel leader Guzman and the Beltran Leyva brothers -- Hector Alfredo, Carlos Alberto and Marcos Arturo. Known as "The Three Gentlemen," the siblings for years were confidants of Guzman.
The rumored power struggle burst into public this year with the arrest of Hector Alfredo. Nicknamed "El Mochomo," for a desert ant with a vicious sting, he is alleged to be involved in money laundering and payoffs to corrupt officials. He reportedly was carrying $90,000 in cash and a cache of pricey wristwatches when he was seized in Sinaloa by elite military forces in January.According to a popular law enforcement theory, the Beltran Leyvas believe that Guzman ratted out their brother and have retaliated with a vengeance. Unidentified assassins shot and killed Guzman's son Edgar, 22, and two friends in a Culiacan parking lot in May. Other Guzman relatives and associates have been captured by authorities, ostensibly with the help of tips provided by the Beltran Leyva brothers.
"Factions of the Sinaloa cartel are fighting each other," Chabat said. "That's why we're seeing all this violence."
Chabat said the cartels might be violating a long-standing custom to avoid civilian casualties in order to put pressure on Calderon to back off. Although polls have shown that the president's tough stance has largely been popular with the public, recent events may be changing minds.
"The situation is out of control," said Gerardo Contreras, manager of a shoe store in the mall were people were taken hostage. "The people of Sinaloa ask the president to stop this violence. The killing of innocent people can't continue."