Authorities in St. Lucie County announced Thursday that 40 suspected members of Fort Pierce’s 23rd Street Gang have been arrested following an 18-month investigation. Investigators used Florida’s RICO law to connect years of alleged shootings, drug trafficking and other criminal activity to members of the gang.
The investigation, called “Operation Score Board,” involved multiple local and state law enforcement agencies. Investigators said the gang maintained a scoreboard tracking shootings and homicides, a discovery that gave the operation its name. St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro said the gang has between 70 and 80 members and has been responsible for years of violence in Fort Pierce.
Fort Pierce Police Chief David Smith said detectives examined a decade of criminal activity to identify connections between suspected gang members and violent crimes. “Detectives conducted an extensive review of criminal activity spanning ten years, examining incidents and identifying connections between individuals associated with the gang,” Smith said. “This intensive analysis revealed a disturbing pattern of organized crime and violence.”
On Wednesday, officers executed multiple search warrants throughout the Fort Pierce area, making 11 arrests as part of the larger operation. Authorities said officers also seized multiple firearms, drugs and thousands of dollars in cash.
Del Toro said the gang’s activity had left Fort Pierce residents living in fear for a decade. He said the scale of the investigation and cooperation among agencies could have a lasting effect. “I’ve never seen an operation this large with this many agencies at the local and federal level,” Del Toro said. “I think this is going to have a significant generational impact in this community.” Authorities said similar investigations and operations are expected in the future.