Arlington, TX – Federal agents, local police, and two SWAT teams swept through the city and surrounding suburbs in a coordinated takedown of what authorities describe as one of the region’s most violent street gangs. 21 alleged members of the “Kiccdoe” gang were rounded up, ending a violent spree that officials say included drive-by shootings, retaliation murders, drug trafficking, and years of terror in Arlington neighborhoods.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, federal complaints filed on November 4 led to the arrests, with all suspects in custody by November 7. Seventeen defendants made their first court appearances that Friday, with the remaining individuals appearing the next day. The arrests stem from a joint investigation by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the Arlington Police Department, which began examining Kiccdoe’s activities in April 2024 after a gang member was shot and killed on an Arlington high-school campus. The homicide sparked a string of revenge shootings between Kiccdoe and rival gangs, accelerating the urgency of the investigation.
Authorities allege that the organization, which traces its roots to the 600 block of East Arkansas Lane, spent the past three years building its identity around violence, intimidation, and a steady pipeline of narcotics. Court records show that alleged members promoted their affiliation using identifiers such as “Kiccdoe,” “KDN,” “6,” and “600,” often displayed on social media, clothing, and even in self-produced music videos. Investigators say these symbols weren’t just branding—they served as recruitment tools and public declarations of allegiance.
The Justice Department’s complaint outlines a broad racketeering enterprise. To maintain standing within the gang, members were expected to commit “stripes”—violent acts carried out to boost the group’s reputation and enforce control. Federal prosecutors list one murder, six attempted murders, nine robberies, numerous assaults with deadly weapons, and persistent trafficking of fentanyl and marijuana among the offenses tied to the enterprise. The overarching goal, according to prosecutors, was simple: expand territory, increase profits, and keep the community terrified enough not to resist.
The federal charges range from RICO conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering to drug-distribution conspiracies and firearms violations. Those charged include individuals as young as 18 and as old as 22, many of them already known to Arlington police for previous violent encounters. The Justice Department emphasized that charges remain allegations and that each defendant is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. If convicted, some face up to life in federal prison.
This federal push followed years of strained local resources. The Arlington Police Department reports that since January 2022 it has documented at least 180 criminal incidents involving Kiccdoe members—everything from aggravated assaults and burglaries to shootings and narcotics offenses. While APD had previously filed state charges against several members, Chief Al Jones said the department needed a more powerful tool to halt the gang’s growing influence. In 2024, Arlington police formally approached the FBI to pursue federal RICO charges—an effort that culminated in last week’s sweep.
Chief Jones praised the operation, declaring, “Our city is safer with these individuals off the streets.” FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock echoed that sentiment, crediting the partnership between federal and local agencies for what he described as a significant blow to violent crime in the region. Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson similarly emphasized the importance of joint operations and vowed that federal prosecutors “will continue to pursue justice against brazen offenders who terrorize our communities.”
The investigation and arrests fall under Operation Take Back America, a national Department of Justice initiative aimed at dismantling violent gangs, drug networks, and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated federal action. The operation brings together multiple law-enforcement efforts, including OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods, to target high-impact criminal groups.
The case now moves into the federal courts, where prosecutors will begin presenting evidence gathered over the nearly two-year investigation. For Arlington residents who have endured drive-bys, school-campus violence, and open drug dealing, the arrests mark a turning point—one that many hope signals a more assertive federal posture against gangs operating in suburban Texas communities.
Those charged in the complaint include:
• Michael Mensah, 18, of Grand Prairie, Texas, charged with conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering (RICO conspiracy), assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Raphael Opare, 19, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Dillen Opare, 20, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Isaiah Wiley, 21, of Dallas, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Kyron Oates, 22, of Grand Prairie, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Vernell Woods, 19, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• DeMarco Westmoreland, 19, of Mansfield, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Cortez Atkinson, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Bradley McArthur, Jr., 21, of Fort Worth, Texas charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• DaTraven Warren, 18, of Mansfield, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
• Sadedrick Wilson, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Joseph Hill, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Chauncey Ross, 22, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Marcus Shaw, 20, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• KeyShawn Burton, 20, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• LaMarion Austin, 21, of Dallas, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Blake Aaron Scott, 22, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Sir James Mack Williams, 21, of Arlington, Texas, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
• Jaylen Jeshawn Franklin, of Arlington, Texas, 22, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
• JaMarion Manogin, 20, of Forney, Texas, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in aid of racketeering.
• Jakayla Totten, 21, of DeSoto, Texas, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.