US

‘Operation Noble Virtue’ Targeting Aryan Circle Gang Leadership Indicts 24 Individuals, DOJ Says

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A total of 24 individuals allegedly associated with the Aryan Circle gang were indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes aiding racketeering, drug conspiracy, and the illegal trafficking of firearms, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

The five indictments were unsealed in three different states as part of an ongoing investigation targeting Aryan Circle leadership called “Operation Noble Virtue,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. The Aryan Circle is a violent, race-based group that operates inside federal prisons nationwide and outside of prisons in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri, according to the DOJ.

“The AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization,” according to the DOJ.

Twenty-Four Defendants, Including Alleged Aryan Circle Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Firearms, and Drug Charges in Multiple States https://t.co/wD6CHwkpT0

— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) October 15, 2020

Members of the Aryan Circle are reportedly expected to follow orders from ranking members without question, according to the DOJ. Charges associated with the indictments include stabbings, beatings, shootings, and “patch burnings” where a victim’s gang tattoo is removed.

Operation Noble Virtue has delivered 17 federal convictions in six jurisdictions, according to the DOJ.

The Aryan Circle was founded in the 1980s after members were rejected from the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, according to the DOJ. The gang’s influence grew in prison through conflict with other gangs, the group has since expanded to suburban and rural areas in multiple states.