David P.

Gonzales, United States Marshal

News Release
For Immediate Release
August 10, 2015

Contact: Matt Hershey, Assistant Chief Deputy

District of Arizona Phoenix Division
(602) 920-4841

OPERATION GRIT 2015 LEADS TO 180 GANG-RELATED ARRESTS

Guns and drugs seized over 90-day operation targeting gang violence.
PHOENIX From May 11th to August 8th, 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service conducted Operation GRIT 2015
(Gang Research, Intelligence and Targeting), which targeted violent fugitives with ties to criminal street gangs.
The operation, which was comprised of numerous federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies,
resulted in 180 arrests, 189 cleared warrants, 34 firearms seizures, and confiscated street drugs.
Operation GRIT 2015 is a state wide fugitive operation involving law enforcement agencies from Maricopa,
Pima and Pinal counties. This operation targeted gang members and their associates across the state of
Arizona, including fugitives wanted for felony crimes, including homicide, robbery, rape, dangerous drugs, and
assault. This operation was designed to combat gang activity through proactive, intelligence-led enforcement
utilizing tools such as fugitive investigations and proactive, targeted street investigations and patrols.
"Operation GRIT 2015 is one of the periodic fugitive apprehension programs coordinated by the U.S. Marshals
Service. 180 fugitives were arrested during GRIT 15, and the public is safer for it, stated David P. Gonzales,
U.S. Marshal for the District of Arizona. The operation would not have been possible without the dedicated
law enforcement agencies and officers who cooperated in a seamless and cohesive way. Operation GRIT 15 is
an example of what can be accomplished by law enforcement by working together in a coordinated effort."
Of those 180 arrests, they include 5 for Murder, 33 for Aggravated Assault, 8 for Sex Offenses/Sex Assaults,
and 28 for firearms related offenses. The following arrests are examples of the career criminals and violent
gang members targeted during this operation:

On May 13th, Johnny Salvador Ruiz and Armida Villareal were arrested in Phoenix. Ruiz was wanted
on Attempted Murder, Participation in a Criminal Street Gang, Assisting a Criminal Street Gang,
Aggravated Assault and Misconduct Involving Weapons. On June 8, 2014, Johnny Ruiz, Maria Arballo,
Ramon Bueno and Danny Vargas, all members of a known street gang, were accused of carrying out a
gang assault on a rival gang member, firing numerous rounds at him and striking him in the leg. In
August of 2014, Bueno, Vargas and Arballo were apprehended for shooting a DPS officer and critically
wounding him. Ruiz and Villareal were determined to be residing at a hotel in the Phoenix area and
Ruiz was taken into custody. Villareal was simultaneously arrested for Obstruction of Justice arising out
of her part in harboring Ruiz. Ruiz and Villareal were both charged with Possession of Dangerous
Drugs (methamphetamine) which was found in the hotel room at the time of their arrest. Additional
information on Ruiz can be found here.

On June 10th, Roger Tyrone Porter was arrested in Chandler. Porter, a documented member of a
criminal street gang, was wanted on charges of Attempted First-Degree Murder and Armed Robbery.
Officers reasonably believed that on June 4th Porter picked up the victim up in a vehicle and drove him
to an area where he shot the victim three times and then told the victim "he might as well die" because

Porter knew where his family lived. Porter then took the victim's wallet, which contained $300 in cash.
Phoenix Police were called to investigate an emergency shots fired call. When they arrived they
found the victim with several gunshot wounds. Phoenix Police Gang Enforcement Unit and the U.S.
Marshal Service investigations led law enforcement to a residence in Chandler where Porter was
identified and taken into custody without incident. Additional information on Porter can be found here.

On June 26th, Steven Rodriguez was arrested in Tucson by the Tucson Police Department and charged
with Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault and Kidnapping. Rodriguez had been identified by TPD as
one of three men who committed a take-down style armed robbery at a local barbershop in Tucson,
AZ. Rodriguez and his co-defendants are believed to have entered the store with handguns and
ordered three female employees (two of whom were pregnant) to the ground and demanded cash and
narcotics. Upon the arrest of Rodriguez TPD determined that a warrant had previously been issued by
the Arizona Department of Corrections charging Rodriguez with violating conditions of Parole.
Additional information on Rodriguez can be found here.

On July 10th, Marco Mejia-Luna was arrested in Tucson. Luna was wanted for Aggravated Assault with
a Deadly Weapon, and Armed Robbery deriving from a Carjacking. Mejia-Luna had been positively
identified as the person who flagged down an acquaintance and forcibly removed the acquaintance
from his own car. Mejia-Luna then stole the car and left the scene. Officers went to a house to conduct
interviews related to their search for Mejia-Luna. When they arrived at the house they saw Mejia-Luna
running from a car at the residence. Officers pursued Mejia-Luna on foot through several back-yards
and over fences in the neighborhood. Mejia-Luna was captured and arrested without further incident.

We are proud of the results Operation GRIT 2015 has yielded, stated Maricopa County Attorney Bill
Montgomery. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners, violent fugitives who have
sought to escape justice are now in custody and will be held accountable for the harm they have caused to our
communities.
Chandler Police Department has partnered with the US Marshals Office for several years in support of
Operation GRIT, said Assistant Chief David Neuman of the Chandler Police Department. This operation is an
excellent example of the positive impact law enforcement can have when working together to apprehend
career criminals. These individuals are not bound by jurisdictional lines on a map. Partnerships like these
between local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement agencies are essential in effectively removing these
violent criminal offenders from our streets.
Arizonas state troopers are grateful for the partnership and work that contributed to Operation GRIT, said
Colonel Frank Milstead, Director for the Arizona Department of Public Safety. This joint law enforcement effort
to deter and dismantle street level criminal gang activity makes our communities safer and sends the message
that such activity will not be tolerated here.
Between May 11, 2015 and August 8, 2015 the Tucson Police Department Gang Tactical Unit has partnered
with the U.S. Marshals Service on Operation Grit 2015 (Gang, Research, Intelligence, and Targeting) to
combat violent gang activity in the Tucson area, said Chief Roberto Villaseor of the Tucson Police
Department. Locally, this operation has resulted in 67 arrests. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the U.S.
Marshals Service for sponsoring this initiative and providing additional resources to combat gang violence and
drug activity in Tucson. This initiative proved to be highly successful, and we look forward to our continued
partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service in the future.
The United States Marshals Service, through its multiple local and regional joint fugitive task forces, targets the
worst of the worst violent criminals. In fiscal year 2013 alone, Marshals-led task forces arrested over 110,000
federal, state, and local fugitives. In Arizona, the USMS operates the WANTED Violent Offender Task Force,
leveraging the investigative resources and nationwide reach of the Marshals Service in protecting Arizonas
communities. For more information on USMS Fifteen Most Wanted fugitives and USMS Major Cases, go to
www.usmarshals.gov.
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