Federal Operation in Salt Lake City Leads to 13 Arrests, Gang Ties Suspected

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A coordinated law enforcement effort in Utah led to the arrest of 13 individuals on Feb. 16, with multiple agencies working together to detain several alleged gang members now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Rocky Mountain Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirmed that four of those arrested have known gang affiliations. The operation was highlighted in a social media post by the DEA, which praised the collaborative effort to remove dangerous individuals from the community.

“Great teamwork with our partners at the DEA to keep Utah’s streets safe,” Salt Lake ICE stated in a post on Wednesday.

Jonathan Pullen, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, emphasized the significance of the arrests, describing the individuals as serious offenders who pose a threat to public safety.

“These are criminals who should not be in our communities,” Pullen told ABC4.com. He added that several of the arrested individuals had been under law enforcement surveillance for some time due to their involvement in criminal activities, including offenses against children.

“One of the individuals we took into custody had been deported roughly 15 times but kept returning,” Pullen revealed.

The operation primarily targeted individuals with prior convictions, but Pullen stated that anyone encountered who is unlawfully present in the country would also be detained.

“Entering the country illegally is still a crime,” he said. “Anyone found in violation will be arrested.”

However, not all detainees remain in custody. Pullen mentioned that one woman arrested during a recent operation was later released after securing a court date with immigration officials.

Pullen also argued that removing these individuals from the U.S. benefits taxpayers and weakens cartel networks operating in the state. He stressed that these enforcement actions help protect Utah communities while disrupting criminal organizations .

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