Portland Gang Sweep Finds Traffickers

Portland gang members and associates after a federal grand jury indicted some of the city's most violent elements, authorities said Tuesday. Federal and local officers fanned out in the past week to arrest 13 people on charges that included sex trafficking and distribution of cocaine. The majority of the charges involved felons in possession of weapons. Some of the 31 suspects who were arrested are facing state charges. Oregon U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall said it was necessary to bring federal charges as the city grapples with gang violence. … So far in 2011, 402 gang members have been arrested on charges that carry mandatory minimum sentences under Oregon's Measure 11 law, which specifies the most serious violent and sexual assaults, police said. The probe yielded the names of 68 people with alleged gang ties. The city's most violent gang is now the Rolling 60s Crips, an offshoot of a street gang that originated in Los Angeles, Police Chief Mike Reese said.