• Listen to this segment

Alex Sanchez, the founder and executive director of Homies Unidos, was arrested Wednesday on federal racketeering charges. The prominent gang intervention activist was taken into custody from his home in Bellflower as part of a wider indictment against members of the MS-13 street gang. Sanchez, who is alleged of having been involved in a 2006 conspiracy to murder a Mara Salvatrucha member in El Salvador, had once been involved in gang activities earlier in his youth, but the 37 year old Salvadoran native left the life to form the community-based Homies Unidos more than ten years ago. With offices in Los Angeles and El Salvador, the non-profit organization’s mission to “end violence and promote peace in our communities through gang intervention” has garnered praise from politicians like Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa as well as members of the LA city council. Homies Unidos, released a statement yesterday evening saying, “The Homies Unidos Board stands united in full support, behind our executive director, Alex Sanchez and his family. For the past 11 years, Alex has been committed to helping bring about change in his community. He is an exemplary leader, respected colleague and dedicated husband and father. Just as we are confident in Alex’s innocence, we are confident that Los Angeles and the nation will remember that an indictment is an allegation only.”

GUESTS: Roberto Lovato, contributing associate editor with the New American Media and a frequent contributor to the Nation Magazine, Alan Diamante, Alex’s immigration attorney.

For more information, visit www.homiesunidos.org.

For more information, visit www.homiesunidos.org or call 213-383-7484.