A joint Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) investigation carried out by the FBI and the Arlington, Texas Police Department led to the arrest of 21 documented, violent gang members, according to the FBI. Criminal charges filed against the suspects arrested on Thursday, November 6, include racketeering, murder, and assault in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, and gun crimes.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the massive operation targeting the violent “Kiccdoe” gang operating in several cities surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth area involved 450 local and federal law enforcement personnel who assisted in the investigation and arrest of the suspected gang members.
According to court documents, the FBI and Arlington Police Department began investigating the Arlington-based criminal street gang known as “Kiccdoe” in April 2024 after a member of the gang was shot and killed on the campus of an Arlington high school. The murder led to alleged retaliation shootings between Kiccdoe and other Arlington gangs, according to law enforcement authorities.
Court records allege Kiccdoe members committed a lengthy pattern of murder, drive-by shootings, robberies, assaults, firearm offenses, and trafficking of fentanyl, marijuana, and other narcotics in Arlington and other North Texas cities. Charging documents allege Kiccdoe members terrorized many parts of Arlington’s communities with these violent offenses and threats of violence over three years, from approximately early 2022 through 2025.
Authorities say the Kiccdoe gang originated from the 600 block of East Arkansas Lane on the east side of Arlington. “To demonstrate their association with the gang, members used words such as “kiccdoe,” “KDN” (for “Kiccdoe Nation”), “6,” or “600” on public social media accounts. They are alleged to have demonstrated their membership in the gang by wearing clothing bearing the same inscriptions and are alleged to have produced and distributed online songs and videos about their gang activities and crimes,” officials stated.
In a federal criminal complaint filed on Tuesday, authorities allege Kiccdoe members, referred to as “stripes,” were required to join the gang, remain in good standing as a gang member, and maintain the gang’s violent reputation in the community. Specific violent crimes identified in the complaint in furtherance of racketeering include a murder, six attempted murders, nine robberies, and numerous assaults with dangerous weapons.
Authorities allege the gang funded their activities through ongoing sales of fentanyl and marijuana, using acts of violence to obtain and preserve the profits, power, and territory of Kiccdoe members while keeping victims in fear of the gang.
Officials report those charged in the complaint include:
- Michael Mensah, 18, of Grand Prairie, Texas
- Raphael Opare, 19, of Arlington, Texas
- Dillen Opare, 20, of Arlington, Texas
- Isaiah Wiley, 21, of Dallas, Texas
- Kyron Oates, 22, of Grand Prairie, Texas
- Vernell Woods, 19, of Arlington, Texas
- DeMarco Westmoreland, 19, of Mansfield, Texas
- Cortez Atkinson, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas
- Bradley McArthur, Jr., 21, of Fort Worth
- DaTraven Warren, 18, of Mansfield, Texas
- Sadedrick Wilson, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas
- Joseph Hill, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas
- Chauncey Ross, 22, of Arlington, Texas
- Marcus Shaw, 20, of Arlington, Texas
- KeyShawn Burton, 20, of Arlington, Texas
- LaMarion Austin, 21, of Dallas, Texas
- Blake Aaron Scott, 22, of Arlington, Texas
- Sir James Mack Williams, 21, of Arlington, Texas
- Jaylen Jeshawn Franklin, 22 of Arlington, Texas
- JaMarion Manogin, 20, of Forney, Texas
- Jakayla Totten, 21, of DeSoto, Texas
The defendants were charged in the criminal complaint filed on Tuesday, November 4. As of Thursday, all have had their initial appearances before a federal magistrate judge.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
