9 Arrested In Rock Hill Gang Sting

Nine people accused of being in gangs are now off the streets of Rock Hill after a roundup launched by federal agents.

Police told Eyewitness News they made more arrests in Rock Hill than in any other South Carolina city.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, gave members of York County's multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement unit a list of 10 names. That list included people living in Rock Hill who are suspected of being members of MS-13 and SUR-13.

York County drug agent Bob Cashier said the list is very specific.

“It's a very defined target list, not just a random canvassing of a neighborhood or just trying to throw out a net and catch as many people as we can," Cashier said.

On Wednesday night, agents raided homes on Bose Avenue, Eden Terrace, John Street, Amelia Avenue and Heather Square and found nine of the 10 men on the list.

The nine arrested were: Israel Sanchez Ruiz, Jose Abel Santos Cruz, Javier Castano, Migel Angel Perez-Colohna, Crispin Aguilar-Reyes, Adelfo Salazar Ortiz, Oscar Cruz Orozco, Jose Santos Mendez-Castillo and Jose Angel Arvizu.

Cashier said all nine suspects are in the U.S. illegally and are involved in crime, including drugs and prostitution. At least one was deported once before following a rape conviction, Cashier said.

The arrests are part of a national effort launched in 2005 called Operation: Community Shield. It targets suspected gang members and has resulted in more than 18,000 arrests in the last five years, according to ICE.

An agency spokeswoman in Miami told Eyewitness News that the program identifies gangs in a community, then works with local police to document criminal activity and arrest and deport their members.

Only hours after the sweep in Rock Hill, Cashier said changes are already happening. He said neighborhood contacts told them that friends of those arrested are moving away or trying to stay out of sight.

Others who have lived in fear of the gangs are coming forward to police with new information about crime, Cashier said.

Police said they hope it's a step forward to build trust and improve relations with some Hispanic communities.