In a sweeping crackdown, federal authorities have arrested eight members of a notorious transnational gang accused of terrorizing a bustling commercial strip in Queens, New York.
According to Fox News, the operation, which targeted the 18th Street gang along Roosevelt Avenue, culminated in an indictment unsealed on June 16, 2024, addressing years of violent crime and exploitation in the district represented by Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng.
The 18th Street gang, originally formed by Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles during the 1960s, has grown into a widespread network with members across the United States, Mexico, and Central America. Over the years, this group established a stronghold in Queens, particularly along the Roosevelt Avenue corridor, a two-mile stretch long plagued by crime and illicit activities. The area, often likened to a "Red Light district," has been a hotspot for illegal prostitution and unregulated street vending since at least the 1990s, according to NYPD Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry.
Local leaders have described the corridor as a "gangland," with the 18th Street gang, specifically its "54 Tiny Locos" faction, marking their territory through insignia tagging and violent intimidation. The gang is accused of carrying out horrific attacks to maintain dominance, including brutal beatings and stabbings targeting both rivals and innocent individuals. Prosecutors detailed three chilling incidents, starting with a December 2021 assault outside a bar on Roosevelt Avenue where three suspects smashed a tequila bottle over a victim's head, causing severe cuts and nerve damage.
Just a month later, in January 2022, two gang members restrained a victim outside another bar while a third stabbed him in the lung, and a second person was beaten with wooden planks, requiring medical stitches. More recently, in June 2024, the gang attacked someone they believed belonged to a rival faction, using a bike lock and a metal chair to inflict serious harm. These acts of violence were not isolated but part of a broader pattern of criminal activity that gripped the community for years.
Beyond physical assaults, the 18th Street gang allegedly extorted local businesses for rent payments, distributed fake passports, circulated counterfeit money, trafficked drugs, and dealt in illegal firearms. Their reign of fear along Roosevelt Avenue compounded existing issues in the area, where sidewalks are often crowded with women soliciting sex and vendors peddling stolen or fake goods. Fox News Digital reported witnessing at least 30 women engaging in solicitation on a single block of the strip following a town hall hosted by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, underscoring the scale of the problem.
Daughtry noted that the migrant crisis has worsened conditions in the area, drawing many newcomers to Roosevelt Avenue due to its significant Latin American population. This influx has strained resources and amplified criminal opportunities, with the gang exploiting vulnerable individuals and businesses alike. Seven of the eight arrested gang members are in the country illegally, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, highlighting immigration enforcement challenges in the region.
The arrests followed a multi-agency operation involving the FBI’s New York Field Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service, and the Labor Department.
The suspects, identified as Felix Bonilla Ramos, 36; Uriel Lopez, 30; Refugio Martinez, 32; Margarito Ortega, 38; Orlando Ramirez, 24; German Rodriguez, 34; David Vasquez Corona, 29; and Marco Vidal Mendez, 36, face racketeering charges. Only Rodriguez holds legal status in the United States, while one defendant also faces separate charges for possessing a semiautomatic pistol and ammunition as a non-citizen.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz condemned the gang's actions, stating, "The suspects are accused of unleashing terror onto Queens communities through brutal assaults, extortion, fraud, and drug trafficking." FBI Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office Christopher Raia added, "Those arrested… acted and behaved with callous and cruel disregard for those around them." Raia further emphasized, "Our actions today represent yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to crushing the violent transnational gangs plaguing our communities."
Before this federal bust, local initiatives had already sought to address the crisis on Roosevelt Avenue, with Mayor Eric Adams launching Operation Restore Roosevelt in October of an unspecified year. This effort deployed over 200 additional police officers to the area, resulting in a 29% reduction in crime and the raiding of 15 brothels out of 30 court filings by law enforcement. Following a town hall by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, authorities also shut down a notorious "bodega brothel" near two schools in her district, revealing deplorable conditions inside, with several other similar establishments closed since then.
Former Democratic state Senator Hiram Monserrate, part of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue coalition, remarked, "As our Restore Roosevelt Avenue coalition stated months ago, what was and is still happening on Roosevelt Avenue is international organized crime involving human trafficking, shoplifting syndicates and the distribution of narcotics."
He continued, "Many stood silent, we didn't. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI. Still much to do!" Rep. Grace Meng also weighed in, stating, "As I’ve continued to say, public safety must always be a top priority in our communities and dangerous criminals who commit violent crimes must be held accountable."
Meng added, "This includes ANYBODY responsible for these types of heinous activity," reflecting a bipartisan call for sustained action against crime in the area. While the arrests mark a significant step, local leaders and law enforcement acknowledge that much work remains to fully restore safety to Roosevelt Avenue. The community continues to grapple with deep-rooted issues of crime and exploitation, hoping this operation signals a turning point for the long-troubled corridor.