Five alleged YNS gang members held in federal detention after Houston FBI arrests

Five men linked to the Houston-based YNS gang remain in federal custody after a Tuesday hearing. They face charges including conspiracy to commit robbery and weapons offences.

Five alleged YNS gang members face federal charges in Houston

Five men accused of membership in the YNS gang will remain in federal detention after a lengthy court hearing on Tuesday, houstonpublicmedia.org reports.

The five appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Downtown Houston. They are among more than 15 suspects arrested last week by the Houston FBI office's Safe Streets Task Force, acting in coordination with the Houston Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston division.

The FBI has described YNS as a "violent Houston gang" and accused the defendants of being members or associates of the group. The five face charges including conspiracies to commit robbery and to distribute controlled substances, as well as weapons charges.

During the hearing, FBI Agent Marquis Nelson presented a report containing photographs allegedly posted by the defendants on social media or recovered from their phones. The images included firearms reportedly converted to fire like machine guns, as well as photos of dead bodies and bricks of cocaine the FBI claimed were stolen from cartel members.

Nelson told the court that the five defendants were allegedly preparing to rob a Walmart shortly before their arrest. He also said a confidential source connected to the music industry assisted investigators in making the arrests.

Defence attorneys argued that their clients had been entrapped, contending that law enforcement lured the suspects to a fake stash house during the investigation. Attorney Joyce Raynor described it as "surprising that the government would entice these men to commit a crime."

Judge Palermo did not immediately rule on whether to release the defendants on bail, stating she would continue to weigh the arguments presented by both sides.

Source: Irish Independent