Police, Feds Raid West Side Street Gang

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 18, 2010 1:30PM

Police and FBI agents rounded up over 100 members of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang this morning, the result of a long investigation that started two years ago. Among the gang members arrested was one who was once accused of murdering Detective Robert Soto in August 2008.

The investigation, codenamed "Operation Blue Knight," used informants, wiretaps, wireless surveillance and undercover drug deals to build the case against the gang. The Traveling Vice Lords allegedly ran the drug ring from a house in the North Lawndale neighborhood, selling crack and a heroin nicknamed "Blue Magic" that was so regarded for its quality, buyers traveled from as far away as Iowa to purchase.

The alleged leader of the ring was Jason Austin, who was arrested and released in the murder of Soto. Soto was shot along with DCFS supervisor Kathryn Romberg in Soto's SUV. At the time charges against Austin and his brother Charles were dropped, authorities said it would "not preclude any future charges." A law enforcement source told the Tribune that the murders of Soto and Romberg triggered the investigation