21 white supremacist gang members and associates are charged with drug and firearm trafficking after 2lbs of meth and 15 guns are seized in federal probe
- Federal prosecutors have charged 21 white supremacist gang members in Utah
- The charges were announced after 15 indictments were unsealed on Friday
- The defendants were identified as either members or affiliates of Soldiers of Aryan Culture, Silent Aryan Warriors, and Noble Elect Thugs
- Indictments are a result of federal investigation launched in 2019 targeting the hate groups
Twenty-one members and associates of multiple white supremacist gangs in Utah have been charged with drug trafficking and firearm distribution, federal prosecutors said on Friday.
The charges were announced after 15 indictments were unsealed in court as a result of a 16-month operation targeting three different hate groups.
The 21 defendants were identified as either members or affiliates of Soldiers of Aryan Culture, Silent Aryan Warriors, and Noble Elect Thugs, the Justice Department said.
US Attorney John W. Huber on Friday announced the charges after 15 indictments were unsealed in federal court
They are charged with distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm during a narcotics trafficking offense, among other offenses.
The indictments come after the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force launched an investigation into illegal gang-related activity around Salt Lake City, West Valley City, and Ogden City in June 2019.
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About 1.65lbs of methamphetamine as well as 15 firearms were seized during the probe, officials said.
Ten of the gang members charged on Friday were already in custody for separate crimes, while 11 of the defendants were arrested on Wednesday.
They are expected to make court appearances in the coming weeks.
The defendants were identified as members or affiliates of Soldiers of Aryan Culture, Silent Aryan Warriors, and Noble Elect Thugs. Pictured above is a swastika interwoven with an iron cross, which represents the Soldiers of Aryan Culture
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