Several arrests were made in Santa Cruz County this morning by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD), according to a SCPD press release. The ten arrested are members of the Mara Salvatrucha, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Of those arrested, some have a history of murder, extortion and narcotics trafficking, according to a SCPD press release. This morning’s operation was the result of a five-year investigation of a “criminal street gang organization.”
Although there is confusion about whether or not the raid had to do with President Trump’s stance on immigration, SCPD Deputy Chief Dan Flippo, emphasized to the Santa Cruz Sentinel that this morning’s arrests were not “immigration related.”
The heavily armored vehicles sighted in the Beach Flats area labeled “Homeland Security Immigration & Customs Enforcement” may have contributed to the confusion.
More information about these arrests will be released once the operation is concluded.
City on a Hill Press will continue to update this story as it progresses.
