18 arrested in Merced County gang sweep
A large, countywide search ended Thursday with 18 known gang members back in custody on a variety of charges, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department reported.
The sweep targeted street gangs in nearly every community in Merced County, focusing on those already on probation or parole and many who are serving their sentencing out of custody under the conditions of Assembly Bill 109, California’s Public Safety Realignment Act, according to Sgt. Kevin Blake, who heads the department’s Supervised Release Team.
Sheriff Vern Warnke described Thursday’s sweep, dubbed “Operation Round Up,” as a message to both county residents and gang members.
“We’re coming after them and we’re all coming together as law enforcement agencies,” Warnke said. “(Gangs) don’t care about city limits or county lines and we in law enforcement don’t, either.”
A total of 18 arrests were made, including four on methamphetamine-related allegations. Authorities also seized two loaded firearms, destroyed 130 marijuana plants and 4 pounds of clipped marijuana buds.
The efforts, spearheaded by Deputy Sam Becerra, involved more than a dozen law enforcement agencies and specialty units, targeting more than 200 locations. Most of those targeted in the sweep were found to be following the terms and conditions of their parole or probation, Blake confirmed.
Jeff Kettering, assistant chief at the Merced County Probation Department, described the operation as a success that law enforcement agencies in the county should build upon in the future.
“We have staff specifically dedicated to supervising gang members and we know it’s going to take a multijurisdictional effort,” Kettering said. “It’s a collaboration; no agency can do it alone. We all need each other in these types of efforts.”
Warnke agreed.
“We’ve beefed up our gang unit and we all plan on making these sweeps on a very regular basis,” Warnke said. “We’re going to touch every corner of the county and take this gang problem head-on. They’ll realize that we’re all working together, all the law enforcement agencies, and we plan on making a difference on this issue.”
Sun-Star staff writer Rob Parsons can be reached at (209) 385-2482 or rparsons@mercedsunstar.com.
Agencies involved in Thursday’s countywide sweep:
Merced County Sheriff’s Department, Air Support Unit, Supervised Release Team, Correctional Officers Classification Unit, Animal Control, Probation Department, the Multi-Agency Gang Task Force, the Multi-Agency Narcotics Task Force, state parole agents, Merced Police Department, the Merced Gang Violence Suppression Unit, the Disruptive Area Response Team, Atwater police, Livingston police, Los Banos police, Dos Palos police, Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Arrested in the sweep were:
Miguel Rodriguez, Luis Sanchez, Benito Renteria, Noel Mendoza, Noel Chavez, Eric Ochoa, Daniel Martinez, Jimmie Agamao, Omar Soberanis, Oscar Granados, Alejandro Lozano, Jai Saeturn, Roberto Reyes, Eric Pena, Heriberto Garibay and Anthony Cornejo. Two juveniles were also arrested in the sweep.
Source: Merced County Sheriff’s Department
This story was originally published April 3, 2015 at 9:14 AM with the headline "18 arrested in Merced County gang sweep."