DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A pistol pointed at man’s head. His life is threatened. He’s beaten with a large wooden object. When that wasn’t enough, a hatchet was used to cut off a portion of the man’s left index finger. The details of the incident are recited by Erin Nealy Cox, U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Cox provides the violent narrative in her announcement of a 57 person indictment on drug conspiracy charges.
But the announcement has an added component. The alleged conspirators are allegedly tied to white supremacist gangs.
“Their criminal ends overcome their racist views when the need arises,” Cox said Monday, while unsealing a 54 count indictment against alleged members or associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, Aryan Circle, Soldiers of Aryan Culture and three other white supremacist gangs.
The federal government claims the accused trafficked meth and heroin in drug houses from Fort Worth to Rockwall.
“Dallas, like the rest of Texas, is plagued with methamphetamine that originates in Mexico, and comes across the border through the activity of organized criminal gangs,” Cox said.
Forty-two of the suspects were arrested last week, nine were already in custody on unrelated charges and six others are being sought.
The Department of Public Safety led the investigation, which included Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving, Garland, Mesquite, Grand Prairie, Rockwall and other law enforcement agencies.
Investigators seized 190 kilograms of methamphetamine, 31 firearms and $376,587 in cash.
Officials say the list of suspects aligned themselves with racist ideology, but also conspired with Mexican gangs to access and distribute the narcotics.
“What all these gangs have in common is their criminal activity transcends their ideology, whatever ideology that may be. Their criminal ends overcome their racists views when the need arises,” Cox said.
