Operation Eastern Encore Takes Down Indio Gang Members

South Side Indio, Jackson Terrace and Campo targeted in gang injunction Indio Today, December 7, 2010, Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco, Indio Police Chief Bradley S. Ramos, representatives from the Untied States Attorneys Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with several other law enforcement leaders announced the results of an 18-month investigation into hundreds of Indio gang members. Todays anti-gang operation is the largest in the history of Riverside County. Beginning early this morning, approximately 1,000 law enforcement officers from 42 city, county, state and federal agencies targeted about 450 locations of known gang members, gang associates and other felons within the city of Indio. The officers executed state and federal arrest warrants and search warrants that were prepared during the course of the operation. The operation was conducted in conjunction with the service of a gang injunction lawsuit against 126 known gang members of the South Side Indio, Jackson Terrace and Campo criminal street gangs. The gang injunction seeks to limit otherwise legal behavior for gang members within a designated "safety zone." Behaviors such as associating with other gang members, staying out past curfew, wearing gang clothing and flashing gang signs become a criminal offense for which a gang member can be arrested under the gang injunction. The "safety zone" has a 13.8-mile perimeter which contains 17 schools and seven parks. The Operation Eastern Encore team was modeled after "Team DHS" which was first deployed to Desert Hot Springs during Operation Falling Sun. The team included gang investigators, deputy district attorneys and support personnel from the Riverside County District Attorneys Office, the Indio Police Department, the FBI, the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The team led the 18-month investigation into gang activity which culminated with the large-scale operation that took place today. Indio is home to approximately 695 known gang members belonging to seven criminal street gangs. Gang members from North Side Indio, South Side Indio, Campo, Jackson Terrace, Penn West, Mecca Vineyards, Reservation Boys, Valle Coachella Rifa, 12th Street Mafia, Tre Nine, Four Trey, and Barrio Dream Homes were investigated or contacted by law enforcement during Operation Eastern Encore.