A wave of arrests has thrust Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s New York district into the national spotlight after federal authorities apprehended a violent crew of illegal alien gang members.
Eight members of the 18th Street gang—a notorious transnational criminal group with Mexican origins—were taken into custody on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. The area, which falls within Ocasio-Cortez’s district, has become a hub of gang activity and illegal immigration.
According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, seven of the suspects are in the U.S. illegally and are accused of crimes including “assaults, extortion,” and drug trafficking. Locals say this is only the beginning, claiming the gang is part of a deeply rooted criminal network operating throughout the city.
“Roosevelt Avenue is like a completely different world — fake passports, guns, prostitution, all out in the open.”
In this part of Queens, basic safety has become a rarity. Residents face daily threats in the form of violence, theft, and other crimes. Streets are flooded with illegal vendors, while hotels—often paid for with taxpayer money—are crammed with illegal immigrants and reportedly double as gang headquarters.
Citizens are urged to be on guard even when walking through their own neighborhoods, as cellphone thefts by scooter-riding gangs have become commonplace.
“At their peak, migrant gangs in Midtown Manhattan were pulling off 10 to 15 robberies a day,” said investigative journalist Oren Levy.
“The phone-snatching scooter crews alone hit 30 to 40 victims daily, swooping in like vultures to snatch phones and vanish before anyone could blink,” Levy added.
The crime wave isn’t limited to petty theft. Gangs in New York are reportedly equipped with GPS trackers, Wi-Fi jammers, and encrypted phones—tools used in home invasions, robberies, and organized street crime.
🚨Roosevelt Avenue: Queens' Open-Air Black Market Run by Gangs, Traffickers, and Cartel Foot Soldiers
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) April 6, 2025
Step onto Roosevelt Avenue after dark, and you’re stepping into a different world. What looks like a strip of late-night bars, street vendors, and music is really Queens'… pic.twitter.com/wfaRzXPKau
All of this is unfolding under the nose of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, prompting some residents to describe their neighborhood as indistinguishable from the “third world.”
“Roosevelt Avenue is like a completely different world — fake passports, guns, prostitution, all out in the open,” Levy said.
“As someone who actually knows the location, I’ll tell you the truth: It’s gangland. The city shows up, cleans it up for a moment, and then it all goes right back to the same mess. Nothing ever really changes in gangland.”
Alongside the violence, rows of unregulated and often unsanitary street vendors stretch across Roosevelt Avenue, reinforcing the chaotic atmosphere.
“I understand people want to make a living the right way without hurting anyone, but when you walk down Roosevelt Avenue, vendors line the blocks from one end to the other,” Levy noted. “Some of them are completely unsanitary, and at times it looks and feels like a third-world country.”
Even polished images of the area can’t mask the overwhelming crowding and public safety concerns.
Despite these issues, Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) emphasized that “dangerous criminals who commit violent crimes must be held accountable.”
Levy, who has reported extensively on the area, cited incidents ranging from street stabbings to brothels operating out of neighborhood bodegas. In one disturbing case, someone was stabbed for refusing to give away a cigarette.
“That’s the state of Roosevelt,” Levy said.
Blaze News reached out to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment, but received no response.
