Albuquerque, NM, July 2, 2007 ... The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today praised the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Mexico for the racketeering indictments handed down by a federal grand jury against 19 people with alleged connections to the Aryan Brotherhood, one of the nation’s most violent racist prison gangs.  The defendants were arrested in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma after a two-year investigation by the FBI and dozens of other federal, state and local agencies.

“These indictments make a strong statement that New Mexico will not tolerate racist prison gangs in our state and will thwart efforts by the Aryan Brotherhood to recruit and expand into New Mexico,” said Susan Seligman, ADL’s New Mexico Regional Director.  “We congratulate all of the agencies involved with this investigation.  These arrests send an important message that there will be consequences for those who commit violent or deadly acts in the name of hate."

According to ADL, the Aryan Brotherhood presence in New Mexico is a result of expansion efforts by the Texas Aryan Brotherhood.  The Texas offshoot of the Aryan Brotherhood has developed into one of the largest and most violent prison gangs in Texas.  Its criminal activities range from drug trafficking to brutal murders with more than 20 members arrested across the state on murder, kidnapping and racketeering charges in 2006 alone.

Increasingly, Aryan Brotherhood acts of violence take place on the streets instead of solely behind prison walls, according to ADL.  New Mexico has had an Aryan Brotherhood presence for several years, a fact demonstrated in 2004 when a Texas Aryan Brotherhood member killed an Otero County Sheriff’s deputy near Cloudcroft.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.