Article snippet: Posted at 11:05 pm on May 17, 2017 by Jennifer Van Laar Twenty-one members of the notorious MS-13 gang were rounded up Wednesday morning in various locations throughout Los Angeles. The pre-dawn raid was conducted by the FBI, ATF, and LAPD as part of a three-year racketeering investigation. A 41-count federal indictment in the case, which lists 44 defendants, was unsealed Wednesday. In addition to those arrested today, 20 have already been arrested, and three are listed as fugitives. Three of the men arrested are facing federal murder charges. FBI Assistant Director in Charge Deirdre Fike said that more than half of those involved were in the country illegally. According to one of the officers involved, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the targets were under 24-hour surveillance for days prior to the raid, and at least three of the locations raided were known “casitas”: According to the officer, MS-13 usually takes over a rental property for this purpose so there are no property records and they can leave quickly. At one casita located in a dilapidated warehouse near downtown, seven people were found locked in a room and are suspected human trafficking victims. LA Police Chief Charlie Beck said the immigration status of the perps wasn’t of concern today because of the nature of the charges against them, but… Excuse me? Thank goodness these guys are going federal, because that means ICE will be notified when they are released, and there won’t be any of Bec... Link to the full article to read more