"Law enforcement officials are tracking a drop in gang activity in some tribal communities that they say is the result of a sweeping take-down of Native Mob gang leaders earlier this year.

A federal indictment in January charged two-dozen alleged members of the Native Mob with crimes ranging from conspiracy and racketeering to drug trafficking and attempted murder.

The Native Mob has terrorized tribal communities in the region since it formed in the early 1990s. Tribal members hope the latest arrests will permanently weaken the crime organization. Gang experts describe the small town of Cass Lake on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation as ground zero for Minnesota's Native Mob operations. Some of the gang's top leaders lived in this area and have strong family ties here. About a third of the recent arrests happened here. "

Get the Story:
Police say Native Mob busts lead to lull in gang-related crime (MPR 4/5)

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