LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday announced the arrest of two criminal street gang members in Gwinnett County.
On Tuesday, Dec. 17, the GBI Gang Task Force and multiple law enforcement agencies descended upon two alleged criminal street gang members' weapons and drug caches in Lawrenceville, they said.
A six-month investigation resulted in the arrest of Jorge Omar Rosales, 31, of Los Angeles, (associated with Southside 13 criminal street gang) and Damion Raye Martinez, 27, of Wichita Falls, Texas (associated with Malditos criminal street gang), according to authorities.
The GBI said that both men are longtime residents of Lawrenceville and are validated members of the international criminal street gang known as Sureños (“Sur 13”). Malditos 13 and Southside 13 are subsets of the Sureños.
They said agents executed two search warrants in Gwinnett County and seized an "arsenal" of firearms including a .223 rifle, handguns, an Uzi pistol, a sawed-off shotgun, and 100 round drum magazines. Agents also seized approximately 10 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, two pounds of suspected marijuana, suspected cocaine, and gang paraphernalia.
Rosales was arrested, transported to the Gwinnett County jail, and charged with:
- One count violation of the Georgia Criminal Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
- Ten counts Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
- One count Trafficking Methamphetaine
- One count Possession of Cocaine.
- Violation of parole
Martinez was arrested, transported to the Gwinnett County jail, and charged with:
- One count violation of the Georgia Criminal Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
- Seven counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- One count of Trafficking methamphetamine
- Violation of Parole
This is an ongoing investigation and more arrests are expected, the GBI said.
Participating agencies included ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Gwinnett Metro Task Force, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office, GBI West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Atlanta Police Department (K-9 Unit), Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, and Gwinnett County Fire and EMS.
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