More than 650 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested 56 people during a single morning in New England suspected of belonging to one of the world’s largest Hispanic street gangs, the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation.
Law enforcement early Thursday morning served 31 search warrants at 24 locations in what is the FBI Boston field office’s biggest-ever single take down of low-level and senior gang members, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew E. Lelling announced Thursday. Another eight people from the group, better known as just the “Latin Kings,” are being sought, the FBI Boston field office wrote in an afternoon Twitter update to the morning press conference.
Forty-six people were charged with racketeering. Seventeen were charged with drug-related offenses, according to the indictment. Some gang members faced additional charges for felons in possession of firearms and ammunition. Most suspects were arrested in Massachusetts.
The indictment states the gang “engaged in acts involving murder, robbery, assault, extortion, witness harassment, intimidation, and retaliation, various firearms offenses, laundering of monetary instruments, and the manufacture, importation, and distribution of controlled substances.”
The FBI went after the Latin Kings as part of a four-year undertaking dubbed “Operation Throne Down,” a play on words for how it attempted to remove each “King” or “Queen,” as each person was nicknamed, from their throne or position.
Officials connected 10 murders and many violent crimes, including witness intimidation, stabbings, and shootings, to the group during the four-year investigation.
We believe under Michael Cecchetelli’s leadership, the Eastern region of the Latin Kings is structured, organized, & run like La Cosa Nostra. Up until this a.m., he reigned over 14 states from MA to FL. 56 are in custody, 8 are actively being sought. https://t.co/6pMuw5zta8 pic.twitter.com/D3Jn15mMjF
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) December 5, 2019
Those charged range from low-level runners and local dealers throughout Massachusetts to the “Supreme East Coast Regional Overseer” who handled all Atlantic affairs for the Chicago-headquartered gang. A news release from Lelling’s office said East Coast chief Michael Cecchetelli “developed a leadership approach to the gang which has become a model for other Latin Kings regions of the country.”
“We believe under Michael Cecchetelli’s leadership, the Eastern region of the Latin Kings is structured, organized, & run like La Cosa Nostra. Up until this a.m., he reigned over 14 states from MA to FL.
The Massachusetts region was unique in that it had its own “council” similar to an internal court that handles disciplinary matters within a region.
Each person charged went by a nickname, and most started with “Queen” or “King.” The nicknames listed in the indictment included King Clumsy, King Prodigy, King Fruity, Queen Dream, King Booboo, King Stutter, King Playboy, King Fearless, and Queen China.
Law enforcement officers recovered dozens of weapons in the sting, including an MP-5 submachine gun with a silencer.
Those charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act each face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
