Several alleged Latin Kings members have been released — to the displeasure of New Bedford police
“We are aware of the release of Latin King members and it is disappointing."
Several arrested members of the so-called Latin Kings street gang have been released on bail in New Bedford — and local law enforcement officials are not pleased.
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Earlier this month, the FBI charged more than 60 members of the notorious gang, including several regional leaders, in a statewide sweep described as the “largest takedown” in the history of the agency’s Boston-based division. And according to court documents reported Wednesday by the Boston Herald and WBSM, two Latin Kings accused of violent crimes were among those recently released on bail by a local judge, though the leaders arrested remain in jail.
New Bedford police told the two media outlets that they were disappointed by the release.
“We are aware of the release of Latin King members and it is disappointing,” a spokeswoman said in a statement. “We remain vigilant in our efforts to always ensure the safety of our city and its residents.”
Among the handful of individuals recently released were two New Bedford residents.
Kevin Guadalupe, an 18-year-old low-level Latin Kings member accused shooting a rival in the shoulder in June and participating in two separate assaults, was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond and order to stay with his mother in New Bedford, according to WBSM.
“The Court states the Government has established Defendant is a danger to the community and poses a risk of flight, but does not find he poses a serious risk of obstruction of justice,” Chief Magistrate Judge David Hennessy wrote in a court filing, referring to Guadalupe.
Taliyah Barboza, a New Bedford woman accused of participating in a February beating, was also reportedly released last week.
Four other Latin King associates accused of non-violent crimes were also released earlier this month, according to the Herald.
Following the Dec. 5 sweep by federal authorities, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling’s office said that “repeated leniency” was a contributing factor in allowing the local Latin Kings chapter to “foster a palpable climate of fear” in New Bedford. Mayor Jon Mitchell has also been critical of local judges for releasing allegedly violent offenders.
“The continued practice of district court judges releasing violent defendants on limited bail is deeply troubling,” Mitchell told WBSM in 2018. “It has compromised the safety of our city, negated the hard work of our police officers, and undermined the public’s respect for the state judicial system.”
Federal authorities said earlier this month that their five-year investigation into the Latin Kings had prevented at least eight murders and led to the arrest of dozens of members, from low-level teenagers to the upper echelons of the gang’s leadership. Michael Cecchetelli, a Springfield Latin King who allegedly led their East Coast operations, pled not guilty to a number of racketeering and conspiracy charges on Dec. 11 and remains in jail as he awaits his next court appearance in February.
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