ICE sweep nets five

Five people were arrested Tuesday morning in a countywide sweep for illegal immigrants, officials announced in an afternoon press conference.

About 35 town officers, sheriff’s deputies, state agents, members of the regional Blue Ridge Narcotics Task Force and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials met at the Culpeper Police Department around 3:30 a.m., where they organized into four teams which were dispatched in search of 19 individuals. Representatives of all the agencies called the effort a success.

According to a statement from the town, all five people arrested face federal charges. They were held briefly in the Culpeper County Jail before federal agents assumed custody of them late Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Jim Branch said.

“Given the nature of who we were going after, it was pretty good,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Gary Close, whose office also assisted in the raids.

Tuesday’s sweeps were targeted toward actual or suspected gang members, people who had returned to the U.S. after being deported, and those Culpeper Police Chief Scott Barlow described as “frequent flyers” — people who have minor, but recurring problems with the law.

After a briefing at the police department, the teams mustered on Cameron Street around 5 a.m. before proceeding to their target locations. Some of the team members donned military-style combat uniforms with masks, while others in plain clothes got into unmarked SUVs and sedans. Local officers in marked patrol vehicles accompanied the teams.

Officials reported that one man was captured after a short foot chase, while another suspect was found hiding under a bed.

Barlow said one person picked up today was wanted in New York on a weapons charge.

None of the people arrested Tuesday morning were identified by name.

Background and next steps
The raids were part of a collaborative effort begun a year ago with the creation of a Culpeper County Gang Task Force.

Officials said Tuesday’s raids weren’t the first and won’t be the last, adding that it was impossible to know how long the fallout from this latest effort would resonate through the community. Everyone also agreed that they sensed the number and presence of illegal immigrants in Culpeper has decreased recently.

The local officials acknowledged that while ICE is unable to address every immigration issue that may arise in Culpeper, the efforts and resources of the federal agents are pointed in the right direction. Based in Harrisonburg, two ICE agents are assigned to cover 22 counties. Gesturing to a stack of papers on the table, Close said 1,842 names have been faxed to federal officials since June 2006.

“Our policy at the P.D. — and I’m pretty sure the sheriff’s office is very similar — is when it comes to illegals,” said Barlow, “we are also targeting the known criminals and the gang members because that’s what ICE is willing to come get.” Branch agreed.

While gang activity may exist in Culpeper County, the officials also agreed that it hasn’t reached a crisis point, thanks to the work of the gang task force.

“If you look at the threat to the community, certainly I think ICE is on the right track with their limited manpower and resources,” Barlow said. “They are going after the worst of the worst and looking at those individuals that would harm our community”

And while some may not see illegal immigrants and their criminal activity as a serious issue, the officials insisted that most people would probably disagree with that sentiment.

“I think the vast majority of people in the community want us to step up to the plate and target known criminals,” said Barlow. “If we came across one target we thought was worthwhile, we’d get on the phone, call ICE, and they’d come down and take care of it for us.”

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or .