Newark witnessed a significant law enforcement operation led by U.S. Marshals on April 2, 2025.
According to the New York Post, The action resulted in multiple arrests, including a teen gang member, under the supervision of the newly appointed US Attorney Alina Habba.
The operation was conducted in coordination with several agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local police forces.
Alina Habba, the Interim New Jersey US Attorney who previously served as attorney for President Trump, was present during the raid, actively participating and overseeing the process.
During the operation, Zakiyy Houser, 18, was apprehended. He's reportedly a member of the Bloods gang, involved in a recent shooting which injured two people.
Houser has a prior record, including juvenile charges for conspiracy and burglary. Police arrested him at the Pennington Court housing project, where he had disguised himself in a blue Amazon vest.
Alongside Houser, authorities detained Darius Torres, 22, a missing sex offender, and David Bogar, 26, who had assaulted an officer and was hiding under a bed in his apartment. Throughout the operations, Habba interacted with law enforcement personnel and praised their tireless efforts in maintaining law and order.
Expressing her commitment, Alina Habba stated her intentions to back law enforcement aggressively to ensure effective prosecution of criminals. Alina Habba remarked during the operation:
I can’t do my job if I don’t understand what these guys do every day. They do the legwork, they go get the bad guys. They put so much time and energy into doing it, and now it’s the US attorney’s job to make sure that we get them locked up and that they go to jail for a long time.
Habba's stance clearly indicates a zero-tolerance policy towards violence and confirms her commitment to transforming New Jersey into a safer region.
While appreciating the law enforcement's hard work, Habba humorously mentioned not wanting to get in trouble with President Trump, reflecting on her earlier role as his attorney. She iterated the seriousness of the legal repercussions for juvenile offenders involved in violent acts, especially those targeting law enforcement officers.
As law enforcement continues its daily duties, Alina Habba promised to reinforce its work by ensuring that the legal mechanisms are equally robust.
The recent raid under Alina Habba’s watch is just a start to her plans of purging New Jersey of its criminal elements. This event has strongly marked the new US Attorney's determination to support police personnel and enhance safety and legal integrity across New Jersey.
The operation not only demonstrated a cohesive effort among federal and local agencies but also highlighted Alina Habba's involved leadership style, aiming to ensure that New Jersey's legal system functions efficiently to uphold justice and deter crime comprehensively.
