The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced charges against members of two different Boston gangs for financial fraud and drug conspiracy, according to a news release issued on August 30.
According to the DEA news release, ten members and associates of the H Block gang were charged with drug conspiracy on August 30. The gang, which formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders and reformed in recent years as the H Block gang, is considered one of the most feared in Boston. An increase in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings, and violence led to a multi-year investigation that started in 2021. Six H Block members and associates were arrested on August 30 and charged with drug dealing in Boston; four are already in custody. Three members and associates are charged with conspiracy to smuggle drugs into a Massachusetts prison.
Also on August 30, members and associates of the Mission Hill gang were charged with mail theft and financial fraud for card cracking. Court documents reveal that card cracking involves theft of checks, money laundering, and withdrawal for cash or purchase of postal money orders. Six Mission Hill gang members and associates were arrested; three are already in custody. The Mission Hill Street Gang operates in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, focusing on the Mission Main and Annunciation Road housing developments.
"I am proud of our Boston Police officers and all of our law enforcement partners for this great work. These are individuals who do not value life; they have terrorized and wreaked havoc in our City," said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. "These investigations were intricately designed and carried out, and there is no doubt that all of those in law enforcement who were involved have put themselves in danger to get to this point. Partnering and pulling together our resources is powerful; it makes our residents safer, and we are seeing the result of that collaboration today."
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was founded in 1973 to ensure proper implementation of US laws regarding controlled substances and to bring entities involved in production, distribution, or trafficking of such substances to either criminal or civil justice, according to its website. The DEA focuses on both domestic and international markets.
