ARLINGTON, Texas – Police and the FBI announced the arrest of 21 members of the Kiccdoe gang who are allegedly responsible for violent crimes in Arlington and across the metroplex.
Arlington Gang Arrests
What we know:
The arrests happened this past Thursday as part of a multi-year joint operation between the Arlington Police Department and the FBI.
FBI Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Wright said law enforcement officers executed search warrants in Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, and Forney.
They arrested 21 known members of the Kiccdoe gang and charged them in a RICO, or Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization, conspiracy.
Several of the suspects, who range in age from 18 to 23 years old, are also facing drug and weapons charges. They include:
22-year-old Blake Scott21-year-old Bradly McArthur18-year-old Cortez Atkinson18-year-old Datraven Warren19-year-old DeMarco Westmoreland20-year-old Dillen Opare19-year-old Raphael Opare21-year-old Isaiah Wiley19-year-old Jakyla Totten20-year-old Jamarion Manogin22-year-old Jaylen Franklin18-year-old Joseph Hill22-year-old Kyron Oates18-year-old Michael Mensah21-year-old Lamarion Austin20-year-old Marcus Shaw21-year-old Sadedrick Wilson19-yaer-old Vernell Woods21-year-old Sir James Mack Williams22-year-old Chauncey Ross20-year-old Keyshawn Burton 
About 450 law enforcement officers were involved in the investigation and arrests.
Police also confiscated weapons, drugs, and money.
What they’re saying:
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Wright said that despite their age, the suspects are all violent individuals.
“Do not let the ages distract from the havoc that they’ve inflicted upon our community. These gang members allegedly use violence and intimidation to protect our territory and profits. They instilled fear in their victims and took revenge on their rivals. Kiccdoe members are allegedly responsible for drive-by shootings, numerous attempted murders, and even homicides. In addition, they’ve allegedly engaged in organized crime, drug trafficking, weapons possession, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, armed robbery, resisting arrest, assaulting a public servant, and aggravated sexual assault of a child,” he said.
Kiccdoe Gang in Arlington
The backstory:
Arlington PD Chief Al Jones said Kiccdoe members have been a major driver of violent crime in the city for the past few years.
“Our violent crime unit and our gang specialists have investigated numerous cases involving this group and have been closely monitoring their activity since January of 2022. We have documented 180 criminal incidents involving Kiccdoe members. This includes aggravated assaults, robberies, burglaries, shootings, and drug offenses. That’s just within the city of Arlington,” he said.
Investigators learned that a deadly shooting at Bowie High School in Arlington last year was retaliation for a previous armed robbery. It was one of the many crimes police attributed to the Kiccdoe gang.
“You may also recall that earlier this year, a teenage girl was shot and injured by gunfire that went into her family’s apartment. We arrested many Kiccdoe members in that incident,” said Chief Jones.
The department turned to the FBI for additional help with the problem.
“Through the years, we’ve made arrests and filed state charges against members of that group. But we wanted to look at other ways that we continue to get them more or get them off the street and interrupt their activity here in Arlington,” Jones said. “Our city is safer with these suspects off the street, and I hope our community can rest a little easier tonight knowing that. I also hope that we have proven to them that we will not tolerate violence in our community, and we’re going to do everything in our power to stop it.”
The Source: The information in this story comes from a news conference held by the Arlington Police Department and the FBI, as well as names and mugshots provided by those agencies.