Much-touted MS-13 sweep keeps most basic details secret

you when you come with us,” one teenager, who asked not to be named because she is afraid of being deported, told NEW YORK — It was a tally the AP in Spanish. “Later, so impressive that President they told me I had been assoDonald Trump touted it at his ciated with gangs.”

State of the Union address: The teenager said she was Since May, agents cracking not a member of MS-13. She down on the violent gangs said she knew of people in terrorizing the working-class MS-13, as do most people at suburbs of Long Island had Brentwood High School, a swept up 428 gang suspects, large high school 45 miles including 220 members of east of New York City. Maybe the notorious MS-13. she’s talked with some of

But the sweep called them in the hallway. “Operation Matador” has also Although she was released been shrouded in secrecy. after two months in detenFederal and state authori- tion, she remains worried. ties have declined repeated “I can’t defend myself,” requests from The Associated she said. “I can’t explain what Press for even basic infor- happened because I don’t mation made public in most even know who is accuslaw enforcement operations, ing me.” such as the names of those Immigration attorney arrested and the crimes they Dawn Guidone said she repare accused of committing. resented about seven teenag

They won’t divulge their ers detained on gang allegaages, immigration status or tions, and at least two were current whereabouts. And deported. One student said while they say 44 of those all he did was wear blue to arrested have been deported, school, the color of the gang. they refuse to say what hapOfficials said he was assopened to the rest, including ciating with “known gang whether they are even still members.” in custody. Both federal and “But the gang member he state officials said releasing was associating with sat next more details could endan- to him in math class,” Guiger the suspect and jeopar- done said. “If that’s ‘assodize ongoing investigations. ciating,’ then I don’t know

The lack of transparency how to even deal with that.” comes amid accusations by The federal agency leadNewly elected Liberian immigration rights groups ing the crackdown, HomePresident George Weah and that the government is using land Security Investigations, French counterpart Emman- unsubstantiated rumors of said that of the 428 suspected uel Macron have announced gang affiliations to detain peo- gang members mentioned in the creation of a fund to supple who are wholly innocent. Trump’s speech, 216 faced a port sport projects in Africa. Federal immigration judges criminal charge of some sort, Weah, a former international have already ordered the but wouldn’t say whether soccer star, on his first trip release of some detainees t hose c ha r ges had anyout of Africa as head of state, arrested on suspicion of being thing to do with gang activhad lunch Wednesday with MS-13 members when the govity or violence. HSI said the Macron and top sport per- ernment couldn’t produce remaining 212 were detained sonalities at the Élysée Pal- any evidence of gang activity. for suspected immigration ace. Macron and Weah said at Some parents and activists law violations but refused a news conference that they say some of those included in to disclose their names as want to revive the relationship the tally are innocent teen- well, citing privacy concerns. between their countries. Libe- agers who came to the U.S. Suffolk County District Attorria, one of the poorest coun- as unaccompanied minors, ney Tim Sini has refused to tries of Africa, mostly relies spending weeks locked in answer questions about MS-13 on close ties with the U.S. maximum-security deten- arrests for more than a year. Macron pledged to provide tion centers based on flimsy MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrudevelopment aid to the counand false allegations of gang cha, recruits young teenagers try. He said the new financing activity. Civil liberties lawyers from El Salvador and Honplatform for sport will notasay that in some cases their duras — though many gang bly involve the African Develalleged “activity” was wear- members were born in the opment Bank. Weah became ing a black T-shirt or mak- U.S. Long Island has a large a star soccer player when ing a hand gesture. population of unaccompahe was playing in France in “They said we have a warnied minors from Central the 1990s. rant for your arrest and we America, including many don’t have to explain anywho were fleeing the viothing to you now. We will tell lence in their home nations.

MYANMAR

A bomb exploded at a bank in northern Myanmar on Wednesday, killing at least two people and wounding 22 others, military officials said. The explosion occurred in the often lawless city of Lashio, in northern Shan state, which has been torn apart by ethnic strife and battles to control smuggling networks. Yoma Bank, one of Myanmar’s larg- est commercial banks, con- firmed that two of its employ- ees had been killed. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but such violence occasionally strikes Myanmar’s frontier region, where armed groups from a patchwork of ethnic minorities, including the Kachin, the Shan, the Ta’ang and the Wa — have battled the Myanmar military for decades.

FRANCE