BLOOD ON ROOSEVELT AVE: Queens Gang Busted for Brutal Attacks, Drug Deals, and Fake IDs

A ruthless gang turned a bustling Queens neighborhood into their personal crime den — and now eight of its alleged members are behind bars facing federal charges.

The 18th Street gang has been hit with a bombshell indictment exposing a chilling reign of terror in Jackson Heights. Feds say these thugs didn’t just sling drugs — they ruled Roosevelt Avenue with beatings, extortion, and a booming business in fake IDs.

Seven of the eight suspects were dragged off in cuffs during a citywide sweep. The eighth is already locked up on other charges — with more court time ahead.

The crew, belonging to the gang’s “54 Tiny Locos” clique, is accused of turning the neighborhood into a living nightmare. For years, they allegedly prowled the busy commercial strip, running drug deals and shaking down businesses while preying on anyone they didn’t like.

Three bloody attacks are at the center of the case. On New Year’s Eve 2021, a man’s head was smashed open with a tequila bottle after gang members cornered him outside a bar. His face was sliced to ribbons, and he was left with permanent nerve damage.

Two weeks later, another bar turned into a war zone when a man was stabbed in the lung while his attackers held him down. Another victim that night was beaten so badly with wooden planks that he needed stitches.

And just last summer, a parking lot in Queens became a crime scene when the gang allegedly ambushed a man they thought was a rival. He was beaten with a bike lock and metal chair, his head bloodied and torn. But the beatdowns were only part of the operation. Authorities say the gang was raking in cash by pumping out fake passports, green cards, Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses — even OSHA safety cards.

Buyers lined up, desperate for documents to help them work or stay in the country.

The gang also collected “rent” from illegal businesses, including underground brothels, squeezing cash from anyone daring to operate in their territory. Federal agents worked with the NYPD, FBI, and local prosecutors to bring the gangsters down. The charges are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide crackdown on violent transnational gangs like 18th Street. Prosecutors say the defendants face serious time behind bars if convicted on charges of racketeering, drug trafficking, fraud, and weapons offenses.

The defendants include: Felix Bonilla Ramos (aka “Chabelo”) Uriel Lopez (aka “Tanke”) Refugio Martinez (aka “Cuco”) Margarito Ortega (aka “Pinocchio”) Orlando Ramirez (aka “Niñote”) German Rodriguez (aka “Loco”) David Vasquez Corona (aka “Teba”) Marco Vidal Mendez (aka “Matute”) For now, the streets of Jackson Heights may breathe a little easier — but the scars of violence remain.

All defendants are innocent until proven guilty.