Several hundred Boston police officers and federal agents swarmed through Dorchester early this morning, arresting some 30 alleged members of the Woodward Avenue and Hendry Street gangs in a bid to quell violence in the Bowdoin/Geneva and Uphams Corner neighborhoods - in particular in the Cape Verdean community.
Officials specifically targeted alleged Hendry leader Alexis Hidalgo, 31, of Dorchester, and alleged Woodward leader Jonathan DaSilva, 29, of Roxbury, in an investigation that began in 2011. In a statement [2], the US Attorney's office said:
Hidalgo and DaSilva are alleged to be responsible for the distribution of kilos of crack cocaine, thousands of oxycodone pills throughout greater Boston, as well as hundreds of pounds of marijuana which they branded as high-grade and sold for up to $5,200 a pound. In a wiretap recording, a "mother-load" shipment of drugs was described in a call intercepted between Hidalgo and his associate. It is alleged that Hidalgo responded by saying, "You just got us indicted bro. If they are listening, I sell weed man."
Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said that in addition to drugs, the gangs were responsible for a seemingly endless string of violent outbursts:
It's a sad fact that violent feuds within small factions of Boston’s Cape Verdean community have riven families and neighborhoods apart for decades. Those feuds have claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds, even thousands, in very real fear for their lives and safety. It’s bad enough when one young man takes up arms against another in a rivalry that began before either was born. But as we’ve seen over and over again, to terrible and tragic effect, that rivalry continues to claim bystanders, children, and other innocents with no stake in the drama.
List of those charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana:
1) Alexis Hidalgo, 31, of Dorchester. (Also charged with two counts of distribution of cocaine base.)
2) Jonathan DaSilva, 29, of Roxbury. (Also charged with distribution of marijuana, two counts of distribution of cocaine base, distribution of oxycodone, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.)
3) John Alves, 23, of Roxbury.
4) Hamzal Awil, 24, of Westbrook, Maine.
5) Benjamin Baptista, 29, of Hyde Park.
6) Jeremia Barbosa, 28, of New Bedford.
7) Maurice Barnett, 30, of Salinas, Cali.
8) Jackson Barros, 30, Dorchester. (Fugitive)
9) Michael Beal, 32, of Roxbury.
10) Joshua Brandao, 22, of Dorchester. (Also charged with distribution of cocaine base.)
11) Julio Collazos, 32, of Brockton.
12) Ilton Correia, 28, of Roxbury. (Also charged with distribution of marijuana.)
13) Jerry Correia, 25, of Dorchester.
14) Lino Correia, 20, of Randolph.
15) Alex DaSilva, 29, of Roxbury.
16) Jose Denis, 36, of Roxbury.
17) Carlos Fernandez, 36, of Dorchester.
18) Moises Figueroa, 33, of Wellesley Hills. (Also charged with distribution of cocaine base.)
19) Patrick Gomes, 27, in federal custody on a supervised release violation. (Also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.)
20) Hamilton Lopes, 29, of Brockton. (Also charged with distribution of cocaine base.)
21) Leakana Om, 22, of Cambridge.
22) Nicholas Otey, 25, in federal custody on a supervised release violation. (Also charged with distribution of cocaine base.)
23) Ruth Rivera-Lopes, 22, of Dorchester.
24) Morris Robinson, 31, of Brockton.
25) Martinho Rodrigues, 30, of Boston.
26) Victor Scott, 23, of Dorchester. (Also charged with distribution of cocaine base.)
27) Dulsilina Tavares, 26, of Dorchester.
28) Carl Taylor, 34, of Roxbury.
29) O’Neil Taylor, 30, of Norwood.
30) John Webbe, 34, of Boston. (Also charged with distribution of cocaine).