GREELEY, Colo. -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Greeley police officers announced Monday that they have arrested or identified nine gang members who were rounded up in an operation targeting illegal immigrants with ties to violent street gangs in Weld County.

All those arrested or located are members of the Sureño 13 street gang, ICE agents said.

Five were arrested on administrative immigration violations and are currently in ICE custody pending removal from the United States. Four additional gang members were located in the Weld County jail, where they were previously charged with state crimes.

All nine gang members have criminal histories, including convictions for assault, burglary, larceny, possessing illegal drugs, illegally possessing firearms, engaging in a riot with a weapon, harassment, violating a protection order, criminal mischief, and felony menacing, ICE said.

Three of the nine gang members are lawful permanent residents of the United States, or "green card" holders. Past criminal convictions, however, will likely cause them to lose that legal status and face deportation. A federal immigration judge will make the final determination in each case.

After the criminal cases are complete and any resulting sentences served, all nine will be turned over to ICE for possible deportation. ICE did not identify the nine by name.

"Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat nationally and to communities throughout this area," said Jeff Copp, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Denver. "Our ICE agents develop close partnerships with local law enforcement agencies to combine our resources and law enforcement authorities. Our joint operations remove transnational gang members from the streets, and ultimately ICE deports them to their countries of origin."

This joint operation was conducted as part of an ongoing national initiative of the National Gang Unit at ICE called "Operation Community Shield." As part of this initiative ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to target transnational street gangs based on the significant public safety threat they pose.

In this case, ICE worked with the Greeley Police Department, Weld County District Attorney's Office, Evans Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, Weld County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the U.S Department of State.

Since ICE began Operation Community Shield in February 2005, more than 13,000 gang members belonging to more than 900 different gangs have been arrested nationwide. More information on ICE's National Gang Unit is available at ICE.gov.

The public is encouraged to report suspicious activity by calling ICE's toll-free hot line at 1-866-347-2423. This hot line is staffed around the clock.