13 arrests were made Friday at residences in Denville, Dover, Randolph, Rockaway, Victory Gardens and Wharton, as part of Gov. Jon S. Corzine's Strategy for Safe Streets and Neighborhoods, a statewide initiative targeting criminal street gangs.
More than 100 officers from 18 agencies participated in the 6 a.m. bust, which was the third phase of an "aggressive mission to cripple street gangs' command structure by taking down leaders and high-ranking associates," county Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said during a news conference Monday afternoon.Since August, Morris authorities have arrested 32 individuals from Morris and Essex counties on 286 charges, and seized $1.35 million in cocaine and heroin and 33 firearms, including assault rifles and high-powered weapons."It's a hit-them-when-they-are-down philosophy. We used a variety of undercover infiltration methods, changing things up like a boxer so they did not become accustomed to our methods of operation," Bianchi said. "They tried to resurrect their business after we already hobbled them, and now we hit them again, coming in like an aftershock. Now they are done, out, dismantled."
Authorities said Carlos M. Madera, 29, of Newark, was the leader of one drug operation. He was charged with 23 offenses that include possession and distribution of cocaine and is being held at Morris County jail on $350,000 bail.
Also arrested was his father, Carlos Madera Sr., 48, also of Newark, another Newark individual, six individuals from Dover, one from Landing, one from Morris Plains, one from Victory Gardens and another who was in Morris County jail.Those arrested include members of the Latin Kings, Bloods, MS-13 and Neta gangs, Bianchi said.
The arrests also included 23-year-old Luis Vasquez of Victory Gardens and his mother, Lilybette Garcia, 42, of Dover.The three-month investigation stems from an Oct. 30, 2007, Rockaway shooting that involved a man flashing a semi-automatic handgun during an argument that led authorities to Carlos G. Gonzalez Jr. During the investigation, police learned Gonzalez was operating a competing drug dealing operation against his father, Carlos G. Gonzalez Sr,. "using fear, intimidation and violence with guns as everyday business tactics."On Aug. 14, there was a drive-by shooting on Prospect Street in Dover with five shots fired from a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun that missed their intended target, Luis Vazquez, 23, of Victory Gardens. Bianchi said the junior Gonzalez was responsible for the shooting.On Aug. 18, authorities completed their first raid, making arrests in Dover, Randolph and Wharton, seizing numerous firearms and $250,000 in drugs packaged for distribution and dismantling two major drug enterprises operating throughout the county.
That operation was followed by another on Oct. 17, where authorities executed search warrants in Denville, Dover, Victory Gardens and Wharton. Investigators uncovered a substantial amount of illegal weapons -- assault rifles, weapons with silencers and high powered scopes along with a significant amount of high capacity ammunition magazines.Bianchi credited the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Morris County Sheriff's Office, New Jersey State Police and police from Denville, Dover, Randolph and Wharton in the arrests."The citizens of Morris County are safer today as a result of the efforts of these fine law enforcement personnel," Bianchi said. "As it is the position of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, my administration will not stop here in terms of gaining additional investigative intelligence to attack other criminal enterprises. And we will aggressively prosecute those who were arrested in these street gang, guns and drug dealing networks."
