BOSTON, Jan. 15, 2012—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following remarks on Operation Concord, a long-term, interagency investigation targeting the Woodward and Hendry street gangs.

“The indictments announced today represent a major blow against gun violence and drug trafficking in the City of Boston. The prosecutions that follow will be primarily federal, but the benefits will be abundantly clear at the local level.

“The individuals charged and arrested as part of Operation Concord are believed to be directly responsible for the destabilizing effects of drug-related crime and addiction far beyond their homes and neighborhoods. The evidence suggests an interstate network of disturbing size and scope. It stretches as far west as California, as far north as Maine, and as far south as Miami, moving large quantities of cocaine, marijuana, and powerful prescription painkillers.

“But this case is about more than just drugs. This case is about violence, particularly gun violence, committed to protect those drugs and many times to eliminate rivals. This is what we mean when we talk about the nexus of guns and drugs, here in Boston and in other major cities.

“In recent years, some have proposed further relaxing or even eliminating the minimum mandatory sentences for drug trafficking in Massachusetts. In fact, two of the federal defendants[1] have already benefitted from retroactive changes to federal sentencing guidelines, and were released early only to go straight back to the drug trade. I would urge responsible elected officials and policymakers to remember that drug traffickers like the ones on Woodward Avenue and Hendry Street don’t keep their cocaine in banks or call the police when they’re robbed. They maintain stash houses in the heart of a residential community and they take retaliation at the point of a gun. They aren’t low-level, they aren’t non-violent, and they aren’t drug users. They aren’t victims of mandatory sentences – they’re the reason for mandatory sentences.

“It’s a sad fact that violent feuds within small factions of Boston’s Cape Verdean community have riven families and neighborhoods apart for decades. Those feuds have claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds, even thousands, in very real fear for their lives and safety. It’s bad enough when one young man takes up arms against another in a rivalry that began before either was born. But as we’ve seen over and over again, to terrible and tragic effect, that rivalry continues to claim bystanders, children, and other innocents with no stake in the drama.

“Takedowns like this one don’t just isolate the principals – they make our streets safer for the good and decent people who live, work, and raise families here.

“This investigation made extensive use of wiretaps and cooperating witnesses. But it would not have been possible without another major resource: the human assets of the agencies you see here. Their encyclopedic knowledge of Boston’s impact players allowed them to target the most egregious offenders, the ones most closely linked to the drug trade and violent crime. But that knowledge would have been for naught if not for the partnership and collaboration of US Attorney Ortiz, Commissioner Davis, Special Agent in Charge DesLauriers, and the other agency heads at the podium today. They do outstanding work, and I’m proud to stand beside them to announce this important operation. Thank you.”

Two men are charged in state complaints as part of Operation Concord:

JOSHUA BRANDAO (DOB 1/2/90) of Roxbury is charged in Roxbury District Court with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. On Oct. 23, 2012, Brandao allegedly acted on orders from federal target JONATHAN DASILVA to get a firearm and provide backup to a fellow Woodward Street associate threatened by a Wendover Street rival at the Roxbury courthouse. He did so with PATRICK GOMES, another federal target. Boston Police picked up this information on a wiretap, immediately responded to the scene to forestall any violence, and were able to pull both men from a car with a loaded 9mm and two bags of marijuana inside. Brandao is held on $10,000 cash bail and will be back in court on Jan. 23.

ALFONSO MALAVE (D.O.B. 9/29/89) of Roslindale is charged in West Roxbury District Court with trafficking in more than 36 grams of cocaine. Malave was arrested at his American Legion Highway home this morning after the execution of a search warrant led to the recovery of a sour cream container full of a substance believed to be cocaine. Like other drug evidence recovered in the investigation, it will be certified at a federal drug testing facility in New York. Malave was held on $25,000 cash bail and will return to court on Feb. 7.

About 30 defendants were arrested throughout the morning by Boston Police, State Police, and federal agents. Of those defendants, 23 are believed to be gang members and account for 57 convictions for firearms and crimes of violence – mainly state convictions that serve as predicate offenses for enhanced sentences under federal guidelines. The remaining defendants are alleged to be drug suppliers, major customers, or female associates.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.