19 Alleged Gang Members in O.C. Face Deportation

Nineteen alleged gang members have been arrested in an investigation of illegal immigrants with criminal records conducted by Department of Homeland Security agents and Anaheim police, authorities said Friday.

The arrests Thursday of the Mexican nationals capped a two-month probe that is part of a continuing nationwide effort to deport illegal immigrants who are gang members with criminal records. Most investigations are done with the help of local law enforcement officials, and this was the first such joint operation in Orange County.

The national investigation began in February 2005 and has netted 2,388 arrests, said officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

Anaheim Police Chief John Welter said those arrested locally this week, who range in age from 20 to 42, belonged to four street gangs that claim turf in the city.

Welter tried to reassure his city’s immigrant community by stressing that the arrests were not a sign that Anaheim officers would be enforcing immigration laws.

“We recognize the delicate balance that must be maintained between the police and the community,” said Welter. “We recognize that sometimes working with ICE can be a challenge to that delicate relationship.”

Local police enforcement of federal immigration laws has emerged as a sensitive issue in Orange County. Costa Mesa city officials and Sheriff Michael S. Carona want ICE to train some officers and deputies to enforce immigration laws. Some Latino leaders and law enforcement officials say the move could frighten illegal immigrants and stop them from reporting crimes or cooperating with authorities in investigations.

Four of the men arrested -- Roberto C. Abundes, 27, Roberto Arrellano Morales, 35, Jose Avalos, 33, and Jaime Vasquez, 25 -- had previously been deported and will be prosecuted in U.S. District Court. They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of reentering the United States illegally -- a felony.

The others face various state charges, including parole or probation violations, and will be turned over to immigration officials for deportation after their cases are adjudicated.

ICE officials Friday also announced the arrest of 41 foreign nationals who have criminal records and are linked to street gangs in Oceanside, San Marcos and Escondido.

In the last year, authorities have made 251 such arrests in San Diego County, and more are possible, said Serge Duarte, deputy special agent in charge of the ICE office in San Diego.