OXNARD : 7 Held in Anti-Gang Sweep of 40 Homes

Law enforcement officials said they raided 40 homes in Oxnard and Port Hueneme early Tuesday morning, arresting seven suspected gang members and seizing drugs and pellet guns.

The multi-agency task force of 70 officers also served notice on 20 other alleged members of gangs, which police have labeled as “street terrorism units,” said Oxnard Police Sgt. Chuck Hookstra.

Hookstra, a member of the Oxnard Police Street Crimes Unit, said that the designation exposes those gang members to an additional three years of incarceration if convicted of a crime. Gangs qualify as street terrorism units when at least two of their members are convicted and serve time for gang-related felonies, he said.

Only four gangs in Port Hueneme and Oxnard have the street terrorism designation. The two gangs targeted in Tuesday’s raid received that label just last week.

“It’s our way of taking a pro-active approach,” said Hookstra. “If the gang members don’t commit any crimes, they’ll never hear from us again.”

Hookstra said the 6 a.m. raid also was conducted to gather evidence in recent gang-related shootings and crimes that are still under investigation. Authorities recovered small amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana as well as two pellet guns in the residences.

Officers from Ventura County, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Naval Investigative Service and the FBI assisted Oxnard and Port Hueneme police officers in the raid.

A 17-year-old, a 14-year-old and 18-year-old Elmer Gonzales--all from Oxnard--were arrested on suspicion of probation violations.

Officers also arrested Roger Camacho, 20, of Oxnard on suspicion of possessing marijuana and stolen property; Julie Ann Luna, 21, of Port Hueneme on a warrant for a previous driving-under-the-influence charge; Juan Almada, 19, of Oxnard on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, and Louie Hernandez, 21, of Oxnard on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine.