Feds Bust 48 Members of Boston's Largest Gang

By FRANK O’LAUGHLIN (Patch Staff)

Nearly 50 members and affiliates of Boston’s largest and most powerful gang, the Columbia Point Dawgs, have been indicted on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz at a press conference Thursday.

Ortiz described the gang as the “most feared” in Boston. The gang first got its start in the 1980s when it began operating out of the Columbia Point housing project in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The group initiated a drug trafficking scheme between Boston and Maine.

As a result of the gang’s actions, several people were killed over the years. Ortiz said they were responsible for “decades of violence.”

Law enforcement officials from all levels seized $1.5 million, 31 guns, heroin and cocaine during a massive raid on the street gang. Officials say the gang has been successfully dismantled as a result.

Seven gang members still remain at large, but the 48 defendants in custody have been charged with federal gun and drug crimes. Arrests were made at several locations in and around the city of Boston and some points as far north as Maine.

Over 600 law enforcement officials took part in the raids.