Longtime Las Vegas Gang Busted In Takedown

Nearly two dozen members of a Las Vegas-area gang are under arrest, charged with crimes including murder, drugs, and assault. The 35-count indictment, which includes the first racketeering counts brought against a gang in Nevada, was announced Thursday and includes crimes dating back eight years.

In addition to the arrests, officers also seized nearly two dozen guns including several assault rifle, and a flare launcher as well as drugs, cash, a homemade silencer.

Many of the arrests happened on September 30 when law enforcement officers spread out around the country, serving nearly one dozen search warrants.

Law enforcement officials say that the investigation, which was handled by a task force led by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and including members of the North Las Vegas Police Department, the Henderson Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney's Office, the Nevada department o Parole and Probation, the FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security.

Officials say that 21 members of the gang, including much of its leadership, have been arrested. They say that the gang – which they refused to name so as not ti give them any publicity – started more than 20-years ago in North Las Vegas. (For more information on this and other Las Vegas stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The racketeering charge alone can land members up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Those indicted for murder also face the possibility of the the death penalty.

Prosecutors hope to make a decision on that soon.

Officials say while the indictment is a big step, at the same time, it is just a drop in the bucket as there are believed to be close to 400 gang members operating in the area with close to 10,000 members.

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Photo courtesy Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department