Federal authorities have charged 21 alleged members of a violent Arlington, Texas, street gang with a sweeping list of offenses, including racketeering, murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, and firearms crimes, in what prosecutors describe as a significant strike against one of the region’s most dangerous criminal enterprises.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson, in announcing the arrests, said that all 21 defendants, accused of belonging to the Arlington gang known as “Kiccdoe” and ranging in age from 18-22, are now in custody, according to a Department of Justice statement on Thursday.
The defendants were charged by federal complaint on Nov. 4, with 17 of them making their initial appearance in court on Nov. 8, and the others appearing a day later.
FBI Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Wright stressed that the suspects’ ages should not “distract from the havoc that they’ve inflicted upon our community.”
“These gang members allegedly use violence and intimidation to protect their territory and profits,” he said.
“They instilled fear in their victims and took revenge on their rivals.”
Wright said Kiccdoe members are suspected in multiple drive-by shootings, attempted murders, homicides, robberies, weapons offenses, assaults against police, and violent crimes against children.
“In addition, they’ve allegedly engaged in organized crime, drug trafficking, weapons possession, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, armed robbery, resisting arrest, assaulting a public servant, and aggravated sexual assault of a child,” he said.
According to court records, the FBI and the Arlington Police Department began investigating Kiccdoe in April 2024 after a gang member was shot and killed on a high school campus.
Investigators say the killing set off a chain of retaliatory shootings between Kiccdoe and rival Arlington gangs, accelerating what authorities describe as a yearslong pattern of violence terrorizing multiple neighborhoods.
Over three years, beginning in early 2022, Kiccdoe members allegedly trafficked fentanyl, marijuana, and other narcotics throughout Arlington and other communities in North Texas.
Prosecutors say the gang’s crimes were committed to expand and control drug territory, intimidate residents, and strengthen the gang’s standing in the region.
Court documents allege that violent acts, referred to by members as “stripes,” were required to join the gang and maintain status within the group.
The complaint outlines one homicide, six attempted murders, nine robberies, numerous assaults with dangerous weapons, and an organized trafficking network responsible for distributing fentanyl and other drugs.
Investigators said the gang emerged from the 600 block of East Arkansas Lane on Arlington’s east side.
Members openly signaled their affiliation by using terms such as “Kiccdoe,” “KDN” (Kiccdoe Nation), “6,” and “600” on social media accounts.
They also wore clothing with the same markings and released online music videos referencing their gang identity and alleged criminal activities.
The 21 arrested suspects were named as follows: Blake Scott, Bradly McArthur, Cortez Atkinson, Datraven Warren, DeMarco Westmoreland, Dillen Opare, Raphael Opare, Isaiah Wiley, Jakyla Totten, Jamarion Manogin, Jaylen Franklin, Joseph Hill, Kyron Oates, Michael Mensah, Lamarion Austin, Marcus Shaw, Sadedrick Wilson, Vernell Woods, Sir James Mack Williams, Chauncey Ross, and Keyshawn Burton.
Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said the gang has long been tied to violent crime across the city.
“By getting these individuals off our streets, we are making Arlington safer,” Jones said. “I’m extremely proud of the outstanding investigative work that got us to this point.”
He added that police have documented 180 criminal incidents involving Kiccdoe since January 2022 — all within the city of Arlington.
The operation involved more than 450 federal and local law enforcement personnel, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
The investigation was jointly conducted by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the Arlington Police Department, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, DPS, Fort Worth Police, Garland Police, North Richland Hills Police, NORTEX Metro SWAT, and North Tarrant Regionals SWAT.
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