HOUSTON — More than a dozen people were arrested as part of an FBI operation Wednesday at multiple locations around Houston.
The feds said they took 17 violent criminals off the streets, some of which were part of the "Rich Kingz" gang. A total of 20 people were indicted in connection with the gang -- the other three were already in custody.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said Alfred Jacoby Green, aka Cobe, was among those who were arrested as part of the widespread operation. Hamdani said he's a documented leader of the Rich Kingz, which operated mostly out of the south and southwest side of town.
"With yesterday's massive takedown, the violent Rich Kingz kingdom in our city has truly fallen," FBI Houston posted to social media on Thursday.
FBI Houston, FBI New Orleans, the Houston Police Department, Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals, ATF, DEA, the Sugar Land Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety helped with the widespread arrest operation.
Doug Williams, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Houston, said most of the suspects were in custody by 6:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Authorities said the gang has been operating for years.
"Cocaine. Meth. Machine guns and gangs. It's a recipe whose deadly consequences play out on the streets of Houston every day and every night, leaving citizens in fear," Hamdani said. "North of Greenpoint, to the southwest side of town."
Among those arrested, according to investigators, was a third-grade teacher for Sheldon ISD who was allegedly caught coordinating drug deals during class. The feds said they used wiretaps to catch her in the act and children could be heard in the background of the call.
Law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation said the teacher was taken into custody Wednesday while on the job but not in front of students. Sheldon ISD said it's cooperating with law enforcement, but can't share specifics about the teacher in question other than that the teacher is now on administrative leave.
Also among those arrested, according to a source close to the investigation, were a Harris County correctional officer and a hospital employee. A Memorial Herman hospital representative said none of the names on the DOJ list matched their employee records -- past or present.
The FBI said the arrests were the result of a 2-year-long investigation that included overnight surveillance and wiretaps. In total, more than 65 "violent offenders" were arrested and more than $1.3 million and 130 firearms were seized, according to the feds.
Law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation said they believe the suspects arrested have key information that they believe could lead to solving crimes, involving about a dozen murder cases, dating as far back as 2020.
"They are a part of the Rich Kingz gang, which has been operating for years out of southwest Houston and is responsible for drug trafficking and violent crimes across our entire city, including several murders," Williams said.
Since the United States Department of Justice Violent Crime Initiative began two years ago, FBI Houston said it had arrested more than 65 people, taken 130 guns off the streets and seized more than $1.3 million from criminal organizations.