More than two dozen illegal immigrants with ties to violent street gangs were arrested in a three-day Chicago-area sweep led by federal immigration officials.
The arrests of 26 people took place Monday through Wednesday as part of a national initiative by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency targeting gang members who are foreign-born, according to a release from the agency.
In total, 22 of those arrested are documented gang members, according to immigration officials. One U.S. citizen also was arrested on a battery and resisting a police officer charge when immigration officials were making another arrest June 14 with Palatine police. Also, three illegal immigrants from Mexico who are not gang members were arrested on administrative immigration violations, according to the release.
Immigration officials worked with the Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Mount Prospect, Streamwood, Hanover Park and Elgin police in the operation.
The gang members belonged to three gangs, the Imperial Gangsters, the Sureno 13s, and the Latin Kings, officials said.
Palatine police and immigrant agents arrested Rodolfo Lira, 38, of the northwest suburb, on a Cook County warrant for violation of probation, according to officials and court records. Lira pleaded guilty in 2008 to a felony forgery charge, but a violation of probation petition was granted against him this spring. A warrant was issued for his arrest last month, and he is now being held on $10,000 bail after appearing in court this week, according to court and jail records.
The names of the others arrested in this week's sweep were not immediately available.
The initiative that the arrests were part of, Operation Community Shield, began in February 2005 and has resulted in the arrest of more than 17,500 gang members or gang associates who were affiliated with more than 900 gangs, according to officials.
