Feed: ‘Raza Unida’ gang members charged with racketeering in Texas - AggScore: 12.5

‘Raza Unida’ gang members charged with racketeering in Texas

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blockquoteemBesides its criminal activity, this group adheres to the Mexicanideology of Reconquista.The goal of the Reconquista is to reconquer these lost or stolen territories for La Raza the race indigenous to Mexico.emblockquoteimg classalignleft srchttpcdn2b.examiner.comsitesdefaultfilesstyleslargehash06f006f000d0a0d20d4074a581a91a6a411b.jpg alt width210 height170 An eightcount indictment charging 13 alleged members and associates of the Raza Unida United Racestreet and prison gang with committing violent acts to support racketeering was unsealed yesterday.This multiagency effort will produce a safer community for our citizens, said U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno. We will continue to aggressively target gangs who prey upon our communities and ensure that they are brought to justice.The 13 defendants named in the indictment are now in federal custody. They are Preston Mascorro, 29 Karlos Bouchot, aka Karlos Gustavo Bouchot, 35 Rudy Rodriguez, 31 Martin Guardiola III, 35 Ricky Alejandro, 25 Israel Plazola, 26 Michael Ornelas, 31 Anthony Torres, 34 Jerome Aranda, 31 Johnny Joe Guerra, 33, Orlando Garcia, aka Orlando Amador Garcia, 32 Valerie Botello, 28 and Stephen Ayala, 34.Guerra and Aranda were arrested Dec. 14 without incident. Both appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Wednesday and have been ordered temporarily detained pending a detention hearing. The remaining 11 defendants, already in federal or state custody on other charges, appeared in federal courtThursday morning. All 13 defendants have been ordered temporarily detained pending arraignment and a detention hearing set for December 17.The United States is seeking an order to detain all 13 defendants in federal custody without bond pending trial on the charges. All of the defendants have been residents of Corpus Christi and all are U.S. citizens, except for Plazola who is a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States.The indictment, returned under seal on December 8, by a Corpus Christi grand jury, alleges that Mascorro, Bouchot, Rodriguez, Guardiola, Alejandro, Plazola, Ornelas and Torres were members and associates of a criminal organization commonly known as the Raza Unida.Besides its criminal activity, this group adheres to the Mexicanideology of emReconquista. emMexicans and other Hispanics making these claims seek to reconquerstates such as Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexicoby taking the land away from the United States and returning it to Mexico. The goal of the Reconquista is to reconquer these lost or stolen territories for La Raza the race indigenous to Mexico.These gang members and associates function as a unit engaged in acts of violence including murder, robbery and narcotics trafficking. This violence is designed to maintain and increase the position of the Raza Unida gang. The series of violent offenses as alleged in the following counts one through four charges the various defendants with aiding racketeering to further the purpose of the Raza Unida.blockquoteem Prosecutors charged suspects with the following countsemulliemCount 1 Bouchot and Rudy Rodriguez are accused of conspiring together in April to murder J. S.emliliemCount 2 Rodriguez is accused of assaulting two persons M. B. and V. G. with a dangerous weapon on March 31.emliliemCount 3 Alejandro and Anthony Torres are accused of assaulting D. L. with a dangerous weapon on Jan. 12. emliliemCount 4 Mascorro, Guardiolas, Alejanadro, Plazola and Ornelas are charged together with the assault with a dangerous weapon of R. O. on May 1.emliliemCount 5 Mascorro, Bouchot, Aranda, Guerra, Garcia and Botello are charged with conspiring together between November 2009 through May to distribute 5.66 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. A conviction for this offense carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and not less than 10 years.emliulblockquoteA conviction for such offenses carries a statutory maximum punishment of 20 years imprisonment without parole.The next two counts of the indictment charge firearms offenses related to violent crimes previously alleged in the indictment. Upon conviction, they carry mandatory consecutive terms of imprisonment ranging from not less than seven years for count six, and not less than 10 years for count seven.Alejandro is charged in count six with possessing and brandishing a 9mm semiautomatic Beretta on May 1, in furtherance of the assault alleged in count four. Torres is charged with possessing and discharging a .40caliber Beretta on Jan. 12, in furtherance of the assault with a deadly weapon offense alleged in count three.Ayala, allegedly a previously convicted felon, is charged in the last count of the indictment with possessing three 12guage shotguns. As a previously convicted felon, Ayala is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms. A conviction for this offense carries a statutory maximum penalty of not more than 10 years.The three assaultwithadeadly weapon charges arise from a home invasion in which a man was shot, and two other shootings at Corpus Christi nightclubs. The conspiracytomurder charge allegedly occurred at the TDCJ McConnell Unit Prison in Beeville, Texas, during a time when both defendants charged were confined there.Criminal organizations actively engaging in violent crime will aggressively be investigated both on the streets of and within the prisons of Texas, said JohnMoriarty, an officialTexas Department of Criminal Justices Inspector Generals Office .During the course of the investigation leading to this indictment, agents and officers seized about six kilograms 13 lbs. of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of more than 300,000. This ongoing multiagency investigation has thus far resulted in 16 other convictions for federal offenses, including a car theft ring, drugs and firearms.