Los Angeles police have arrested 36 suspected members of illegal immigrant gangs, immigration officials said Wednesday.

The suspects. who have criminal histories, were facing indictments that carry federal prison terms, said the officials.

As part of the crackdown, nearly 90 other gang members have been arrested on immigration violations, according to authorities.

The individuals targeted "are not poster children for the American dream," the head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Los Angeles investigations office, Robert Schoch, told reporters.

He said those arrested belong to gangs that include "some of the oldest and most violent organizations" in Southern California.

Most of those charged are Mexican citizens, but there are also citizens of Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize, according to the officials.

The criminal charges include drug and firearms offenses, and well as the charge of re-entering the United States after having been deported -- a felony that carries up to 20 years in prison.

The law enforcement action, part of an ongoing national initiative aimed at fighting gangs that cross borders, was meant to target individuals who commit crimes as part of gangs and then return, sometimes repeatedly, to the United States after being deported, authorities said.

Schoch said authorities want to send a message that criminals will be punished if they break laws in the United States and flaunt border protections.

The acting U.S. Attorney for the region that includes Los Angeles, George Cardona, said the operation shows federal authorities are committing resources to show that when caught, people who come to the United States illegally and commit crimes will not simply be sent across the border, only to return days later.

Schoch cited the numbers of those arrested in the recent action, saying they showed a "significant impact."

"That is making an impact. That is making this area safer," he said.

Source: Xinhua