Video Transcript

George Venizelos, acting director in charge, FBI New York: In the pre-dawn hours of this morning, the FBI and our law enforcement partners began a massive arrest and search operation targeting members of two gangs that have plagued the city of Newburgh.

The arrests and searches are the culmination of a 16-month investigation. Today’s operation is a testament to organization and logistics. Literally hundreds of FBI agents, other federal agents, police officers and detectives have been involved in the arrests and searches.

Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York: In two separate indictments we have brought federal narcotics charges against 78 members and associates of two notorious national gangs. They are the Bloods and the Latin Kings.

As we alleged in the indictments these gang members are not wannabes but die-hard participants in their respective criminal enterprises. They are organized. They are violent. They are ruthless. And they are—or were—the principal drug dealers operating in Newburgh today.

Venizelos: The two operations, codenamed Blood Drive and Black Crown, are the result of solid police work by the task force. Both cases, targeting the members of the Bloods and the Latin Kings respectively, used time-tested techniques like informants and undercover drug buys to amass evidence and probable cause. The FBI and our partners did a sweep into Newburgh this morning. The idea is to be part of the process of restoring neighborhoods to the good people who live in them.