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Public Safety

ICE Arrests 8 Tied To San Diego Gangs With Mexican Cartel Connections

U.S. immigration officials have arrested 10 people in San Diego County in connection with a national operation targeting U.S. street gangs with transnational ties.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officials say eight of the people arrested are associated with San Diego street gangs that work with the Arellano Felix Drug Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.

Mike Carney is a Special Agent in Charge with ICE in San Diego. He says two people they detained are gang members. Six are gang associates. Carney says two others do not have gang ties, but are undocumented immigrants.

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He says San Diego street gangs sell drugs and smuggle guns for Mexican cartels.

"It's just that in a certain way it's nebulous. We know that the gangs are working with and being supported by drug trafficking organizations. But further investigation will reveal just the level of connectivity and how pervasive it is."

Carney says it is not clear if the eight gang members and associates who were arrested have ties to the cartels. He says the gang does, and the purpose of the arrests is to disrupt the gang's operations.

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