Patrick Ralph Ponce, 44, of Imperial County, pleaded guilty to drug, weapon, kidnapping and extortion charges, making him the last of 31 gang members

Patrick Ralph Ponce, 44, of Imperial County, pleaded guilty to drug, weapon, kidnapping and extortion charges, making him the last of 31 gang members to plead guilty to charges brought by Brown's office. The final conviction concludes "Operation Gangland," which began in 2005 and ultimately shut down a major Mexican Mafia cell spread across Imperial and San Diego Counties. "This Mexican Mafia cell was one of the most violent extortion and drug trafficking rings California's border region has ever seen," Brown said. "With the convictions of all 31 gang members, we've dealt a fatal blow to their criminal enterprise and they will spend a long, long time in prison." Originally indicted in August 2007, the gang members have collectively been sentenced to more than 200 years in prison.
In 2005, officials from the California Attorney General's Office, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Imperial County District Attorney's Office formed the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force to investigate the Mexican Mafia's criminal activities. The investigation uncovered a widespread drug smuggling and extortion operation directed by Mexican Mafia cell leader Patrick Ponce. The cell used "tax collectors" in El Centro, Calexico, Brawley, Heber, Holtville, Calipatria, and Niland to extort funds from anyone engaged in illegal activity, such as drug sales or immigrant smuggling. Those who refused or failed to pay were attacked by Ponce's enforcers. The "taxes" would be split between the gang member who collected them, Ponce and other gang leaders.
Additionally, Ponce ran a heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation, distributing and selling narcotics throughout the region. Ponce ordered gang members with outstanding warrants to surrender themselves to officers so that illegal contraband hidden on these individuals could be smuggled into the Imperial County Jail. Gang members attacked anyone who failed to carry out orders. Over the course of the investigation, agents captured Ponce on wiretaps ordering assaults, setting extortion rates and arranging drug sales. Following the investigation, Brown's office assisted Imperial County District Attorney Gilbert G. Otero in preparing the case against the gang. In August 2007, the case was presented to the San Diego County criminal grand jury, which returned a 46-count indictment against 31 members of the cell. Over the past two and a half years, Brown's office has successfully prosecuted all 31 gang members, including:

- Patrick Ralph Ponce ("Pato"), 44, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to kidnapping; two counts of extortion; selling methamphetamine; and supplying a firearm to a felon and is expected to be sentenced to 22 years in state prison;
- Marc Anthony Villasenor ("Joker"), 31, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to assault likely to cause great bodily injury; selling heroin; and assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 20 years, 8 months in state prison;
- Raul Antonio Cruz, Jr. ("Jr."), 33, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to assault with a firearm; three counts of extortion; and three counts of supplying a firearm to a felon and was sentenced to 16 years in state prison;
- Ezequiel Ernesto Rodriguez ("Neto"), 39, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to extortion and admitted carrying a firearm during a gang crime and was sentenced to 15 years in state prison;
- Victorianao Ortiz ("Cyco"), 30, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 14 years in state prison;
- Raul Vega Mejia ("Pollo"), 37, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted extortion; two counts of extortion; carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 13 years in state prison;
- Gabriel Anthony Valles ("Guero"), 47, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and admitted carrying a firearm during a gang crime and was sentenced to 9 years in state prison;
- Marco Araujo, 54, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and three counts of selling heroin and was sentenced to 9 years in state prison;
- Juan Antonio Hornback ("Duke"), 31, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to selling heroin and was sentenced to 9 years in state prison;
- Jose Manuel Zepeda, 31, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and extortion and was sentenced to 9 years in state prison;
- Victor Ruby ("Outlaw"), 38, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to assault likely to cause great bodily injury and was sentenced to 8 years in state prison;
- David Paez Martinez ("Deebo"), 32, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to extortion; two counts of attempted extortion; assault with a firearm; and felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 7 years in state prison;
- Luis Hector Munoz ("Clepto"), 30, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and extortion and was sentenced to 7 years in state prison;
- Gerardo Robles ("Gerry"), 29, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and selling heroin and was sentenced to 7 years in state prison;
- Jose Espinoza ("Chuck"), 26, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to extortion; receiving stolen property and possession of an assault weapon and was sentenced to 6 years, 4 months in state prison;
- Jaime Alejandro Perez ("Beef"), 26, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to attempted extortion and is expected to be sentenced to 6 years in state prison;
- Jorge Cuevas Mendoza ("Twinx"), 25, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to 5 years in state prison;
- Antonio Padilla ("Kasper"), 34, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to 4 years in state prison;
- Refugio Castellanos Servin, 43, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to selling heroin and was sentenced to 4 years in state prison;
- Manuel Estrada Solarez ("Chile"), 54, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to selling heroin and was sentenced to 4 years in state prison;
- Juan Cordero ("Pollo"), 31, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to 3 years in state prison;
- Max Ponce, Jr. ("Mad Max"), 53, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to 3 years in state prison;
- Anthony Edward Favela ("Shadow"), 37, of San Diego County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to 3 years in state prison;
- Judy Ann Huerta, 29, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to 3 years in state prison;
- Brian Mark Smith ("Dusty"), 34, of San Diego County, who pleaded guilty to supplying a firearm to a felon and was sentenced to 2 years in state prison;
- Joe Alberto Tamayo ("Drak"), 36, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to extortion and was sentenced to 2 years in state prison;
- Rudy Raymond Ferrel, Jr., 36, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to perjury and was sentenced to 2 years in state prison;
- Armando Salvador Leon ("Fooskie"), 49, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and was sentenced to formal probation, 435 days jail;
- Eden Macias Portugal, 34, of Imperial County, who pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and was sentenced to summary probation, 355 days jail;
- Maricela Smith, 48, of San Diego County, who pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and was sentenced to formal probation, 234 days jail; and
- Ruby Flores Mendez, 35, of San Diego County, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell methamphetamine and is expected to be sentenced to formal probation.

Glasgow firm Spyguard's general manager Gavin Scott, 64, and directors Paddy Dyer, 44, and Gary Fitzpatrick, 46, have all had their licences removed.

GANGLAND security firms are on the run after police chiefs started sharing secret files with industry watchdogs, we can reveal today.Strathclyde Police are handing over intelligence on rogue firms to the Security Industry Authority (SIA) - leading to dozens of people losing their licences because of underworld links.One company have already lost their SIA approved contractor status.One security source said: "The SIA have failed to clean up the industry partly because it hasn't got enough power."It's fantastic the police are now sharing what they know about these people. If that continues, it could make a real difference."Glasgow firm Spyguard's general manager Gavin Scott, 64, and directors Paddy Dyer, 44, and Gary Fitzpatrick, 46, have all had their licences removed.The SIA acted after police told them how the firm used intimidation to win contracts.Former Army sergeant and weapons instructor Scott unsucessfully appealed against losing his licence at Glasgow Sheriff Court.In a written judgement, Sheriff John Brown said: "Such information, in my view, entitles the SIA to take the action they have to suspend the licence in the public interest."Scott, from Yoker, Glasgow, said he had no idea if his employers were involved in organised crime.He added: "I'm being punished not for who I am but for who the police say I work for. Does anyone know who they work for? "I earn £300 a week as a supervisor. Does that sound like someone who is a bigtime crook? I was 22 years in the Gordon Highlanders. I have no criminal record yet am being treated like one."It seems everyone is being tarred with the same brush."
Others who have had their licences revoked include gangster Eli Webb, 44, who has walked free on five attempted murder charges.He lost his licence a week after the it was revealed he was linked to "roll wars" - in which bakery firms were targeted in a campaign of intimidation.An industry source said: "It's incredible that someone like Webb was even licensed in the first place."Barry Dempster - a 29-year-old tanning salon boss linked to Pegasus Security - has also lost his licence. He is the son of underworld figure Bobby 'The Devil' Dempster. Boss Stephen Palombo, 41, had won approved contractor status for his firm X714 by convincing the SIA they were legitimate.But X714 were stripped of the status because of their links to Willie Bennett, 50, an associate of the Daniel crime clan.Palombo, who also runs a drug-testing business for employers, was unavailable last night. A spokeswoman said: "He's out the country and X714 is no longer in business. I don't know the name Willie Bennett."The SIA also moved to end Motherwellbased Izon Security's approved contractor status over alleged links to drug dealer Thomas Allan, 50.But the firm successfully challenged the move at Hamilton Sheriff Court.A police source said: "We can now spell out in detail the connections between criminals in the background and the people fronting and running the firms."That allows the SIA to review the suitability of individual licence holders and any firms who have gained approved contractor status. There's a lot more to come."Those stripped of their licences are now barred by law from working in security.Lawyer Jim Kelly said he planned a second appeal on Scott's behalf.He added: "I believe that the police and the SIA are acting illegally in the way they target people they suspect are involved in crime."If people pass all the tests laid down by the SIA, then they should be allowed to hold a licence."

The SIA said: "We can suspend a licence if we think there is a risk to the public."