Feds Arrest 18th Street Gang Members Terrorizing Queens Corridor

Federal authorities have arrested eight members of the violent 18th Street transnational gang operating in the Roosevelt Avenue commercial corridor in Queens, an area represented by Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng. The gang, originally formed by Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles in the 1960s, has spread throughout the U.S. and Central America and is accused of brutal assaults, extortion, drug and firearms trafficking, distributing fake passports and counterfeit currency, and controlling a notorious 'Red Light District' in the area. Seven of the arrested gang members are in the U.S. illegally. Local residents have described the area as a crime-ridden strip with illegal prostitution and counterfeit goods, which has been a long-standing issue exacerbated by an influx of illegal immigrants. The arrests were part of a multi-agency federal operation involving the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security, ICE, and other agencies, highlighting ongoing efforts to dismantle violent transnational gangs impacting American communities.