| Six suspected members of a violent Central American gang remained in the Fort Bend County Jail Tuesday after they were arrested Friday at a Richmond roadside park. Five were being held without bail, to be turned over to immigration authorities.
According to Fort Bend County sheriff's deputies, the six suspected members of the MS-13 gang were arrested following a three-month multi-agency operation. They were charged with possession and delivery of some $150,000 of stolen electronic equipment.
Members of the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force and members of the county's “Impact” team participated in the investigation after undercover police officers in southwest Houston learned of plans to steal a tractor-trailer load of electronics, according to deputies.
Houston police officers, the Enhanced Multi-Agency Gang Task Force, Houston Police Department's SWAT Team teamed up with local officers in conducting surveillance on the tractor-trailer rig at 19200 U.S. 59 in Richmond, a closed rest area commonly used by truck drivers for overnight parking.
The suspects arrived in a caravan,said deputies, led by Jose Rene Coreas, 32, of El Salvador, who was driving a Toyota 4-runner. Following Coreas were two leased U-haul cargo trucks being driven by his cousin, Moyses Francisco Coreas, 22, of Harlingen, and Juan Carlos Meza, 33, of Houston. The U-haul trucks were positioned behind the tractor-trailer, said deputies, at which time forced entry was made by the suspects.
Three additional suspects who were passengers in the rental trucks joined in and began off-loading the stereo equipment from the tractor-trailer. They were identified as Jesus Garcia Sandoval, 45, of Tampico, Mexico, and Orlyn Noe Machado, 25, and Oscar Antonio Lopez, 22, both of Copan, Honduras.
At this time officers surrounded the roadside park and arrested all six suspects, who were charged with felony theft.
Federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were notified of the arrests, at which time a post interview was conducted at the sheriff's office. A federal detainer hold was placed on five of the six.
Bail was set at $25,000 for Moyses Coreas, while the remaining suspects were being held without bail.
MS-13 refers to Mara Salvatrucha, a notorious gang composed mostly of Salvadorans, Hondurans and other Central Americans. The Mara Salvatrucha gangs have cliques, or factions, located throughout the United States and Latin America. Membership is believed to total over 100,000 worldwide.
MS criminal activities include drug smuggling and sales, black market gun sales, human trafficking, assassinations for hire, theft, and assaults on law enforcement officials.
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