Recently, an ICE investigation led to the arrest of a 30-year-old Salvadoran national with ties to the Westside Criminals street gang who had been previously deported from the United States. Wilmar “Smiley†Alberto was taken into custody by ICE agents during a traffic stop in the Rampart section of Los Angeles in November. A subsequent search of the convicted robber's residence turned up an unregistered .38 caliber revolver and 12 rounds of hollow point ammunition. Alberto was charged with re-entry after deportation and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service awaiting further court proceedings.
Another gang member now facing prosecution as a result of ICE's efforts is
a previously deported Mexican national with ties to the Westside Dukes whose criminal record includes prior convictions for second degree robbery and voluntary manslaughter involving the fatal stabbing of a rival gang member. Heriberto Ramos-Moreno, 41, was turned over to ICE in mid-October upon his release from the Orange County Jail, where he had been detained on charges of obstructing an officer. Like Alberto, Ramos is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for re-entry after deportation, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
ICE Los Angeles-area gang arrests reach nearly 2,000 in 2008 (http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0901/090123losangeles.htm - broken link)
The perpetual re-entry of these violent criminals makes you wonder what those who claim that we don't need a wall around the circumference of our southern border is thinking.
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