Alex Sanchez (pictured to the left), the executive director of Homies Unidos, was taken into custody by the FBI this morning. He’s been named in a federal indictment that targets Mara Salvatrucha gang members who have supposedly been involved in violent activity including slayings, assaults and extortion. 8 others were also arrested. According to the AP:
“An FBI news release said five of the defendants, not including Sanchez, allegedly conspired to murder a veteran detective with the Los Angeles Police Department’s gang unit. The indictment also alleges members of the gang were responsible for seven murders and eight conspiracies to commit murder since 1995. Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney George Cardona said at a news conference that Sanchez was involved in a murder conspiracy in May 2006 while Homies Unidos was receiving public funds for its anti-gang work. He did not elaborate.”
Sanchez, a nationally recognized anti-gang leader, used to be a part of the of the notorious MS-13 gang but after he was deported he gave up his gang lifestyle and formed a local chapter of Homies Unidos upon his return to the US. There is no statement from the LA chapter of Homies Unidos at this moment.
UPDATE: From commenter: It is not possible to get political asylum because of LAPD persecution. Alex for asylum because of his well-founded fear of being deported to El Salvador where his former gang affiliation would have endangered his life.
This news is quite depressing and I hope whatever the truth is it comes out soon and that hopefully Sanchez’s name is cleared.
To keep updated on his arrest go HERE.
*photo by jane in santa fe (CC)
CATEGORIES: Education, Ethics, Human Rights
Related Posts:
Stay Informed with TakePart:
Get Blog Updates:
Blogroll
- AlterNet
- Amnesty International Livewire
- b-listed
- Boing Boing
- Brave New Films
- CauseCast
- Changents
- Climate Crisis
- Democracy Now!
- Ecorazzi
- EdNews
- Environmental News Network
- Ethicurean
- GOOD
- Grist
- Harvard World Health News
- Huffington Post
- Human Rights Watch
- Inhabitat
- Meatless Monday
- Media Matters
- NewsTrust
- NRDC Switchboard
- Rock The Vote
- SEED Magazine
- SocialVibe
- Sustainablog
- TechPresident
- The Daily Dish
- The Democracy Center
- Think Progress
- TreeHugger
- Truthout
- Why Tuesday?
- Worldchanging
Thank you for this post. I know Alex personally and am outraged by his arrest today. How exactly does someone do gang prevention/intervention without talking to gang members? That’s the point of the program! I find it hard to believe that these charges have any merit. Unfortunately there is a factual error/implication in your post, probably resulting from poor wording on the LA Times. It is not possible to get political asylum because of LAPD persecution. Alex for asylum because of his well-founded fear of being deported to El Salvador where his former gang affiliation would have endangered his life.
Well they still have to prove something happened. This is an ongoing investigation and unless he takes a plea on this i doubt he is in any hard. It is unfortunate to hear that they would want to do such a thing so someone instrumental to getting people out of the gangs.
I have no doubt in my mind that this is more of a personal vendetta, the alleged victim is obvious an anti gang investigator.
While i do believe in justice and he needs to pay his dues. Even for crimes he has commited in the past. The police have a network that is just like the gangs themselves.
There is plenty of documentation and history has proven that the police gangs are responsible for the crips and the bloods.