''ARMENIAN POWER'' SUFFERS AN OUTAGE

Emotions had not subsided following the exposure of the Armenian mafia led by Armen Kazarian in the US, when American intelligence agencies dealt a further blow to organized Armenian crime. US law enforcement agencies conducted a special, large-scale operation against a criminal organization composed of immigrants from Armenia, The Los Angeles Times reports.

The target of Operation Power Outage was a criminal gang under a significant title - 'Armenian Power'. The scale of the raid was such that it involved hundreds of officials from various law enforcement agencies - from the police to the FBI.

According to The Wall Street Journal, two indictments for racketeering and other crimes were brought against 88 people in southern California. Another 11 people were charged by the District Attorney of Los Angeles in the state court. All in all, according to the US Department of Justice, 102 people are charged with involvement in the activities of 'Armenian Power' In other words, it proved impossible to arrest everyone.

According to the indictment, the group had about 250 full members and hundreds of accomplices. The Armenian group was based in Glendale - a Los Angeles suburb in which 40 per cent of the population are Armenian. By the way, according to Lenta.ru, the diaspora in this town of 200,000 people has already expressed concern about a possible outbreak of suspicion towards Armenian immigrants.

The FBI notes that in recent years, 'Armenian Power', in contrast to other ethnic groups, has been willing to cooperate with Mexican gangs, although it was created to fight them. Moreover, the investigation revealed that Californian Armenians have established contacts with criminal circles in Russia and Georgia, not to mention the extensive ties 'Armenian Power' has with its homeland, Lenta.ru writes.

According to the US law enforcement agencies, the 16 February operation was the result of two years of hard work. Many detainees are charged with bank fraud and often face more severe charges, for example, extortion, assaults, drug dealing and even kidnapping.

"Since its inception, members of 'Armenian Power' and their associates have committed a variety of violent crimes, including murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, robberies, extortion and intimidation of witnesses, as well as trading in drugs and fraud," the indictment said.

According to analysts, Operation Power Outage was a major blow to Eurasian criminal groups in the US. It is the second powerful strike against Armenian criminals in recent months after the 'the case of Pzo - Armen Kazarian'. In late 2010, the police arrested 73 people and charged them with embezzling $163 million from the Medicare health insurance fund. Pzo's gang was also accused of other serious crimes.

It is no secret that the money stolen from the American health insurance system was invested primarily in Armenia. It is this money which Pzo used to find senior patrons, one of whom was the brother of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. It is no coincidence that after the exposure of this mafia, US investigators have targeted Armenian banks and public institutions.

Now feelings about Armenian criminals are again running high due to the export of crime from Armenia to economically developed countries. The presence of a large Armenian diaspora in these countries allows criminals to achieve publicity and establish ties with the Armenian leadership and sometimes with the powers that be in the country.

Given this situation, the exposure of the Armenian criminal gangs should be viewed not only in a criminal context, but also in a political one. Facts show that criminality is an integral part of the Armenian diaspora. If we consider the opportunities for the Armenian lobby to influence political processes in the US, the US intelligence agencies have something serious to think about.

For example, the money misappropriated by the Armenian mafia from American taxpayers could be used to sponsor the election campaigns of a number of American congressmen, in particular the most ardent champions of the recognition of the fictitious genocide of Armenians.

California, where 'Armenian Power' settled in the 1980s, later recognized the Armenian 'genocide'. This US state has the second largest Armenian diaspora in the world, after Russia. The Armenian gang has the greatest scope for activity in Glendale, which is sometimes called 'little Armenia'.

This question may also impinge on national security issues in America, especially given the presence of a well-established Armenian terrorist network in the world. Therefore, it would be wrong to 'finger' a particular criminal gang. The problem requires a comprehensive approach, including towards Armenian influence on political decision-making in the US.