Gang leader wanted for murder arrested in Puerto Rico: B.C.: anti-gang unit

SURREY, B.C. – British Columbia's anti-gang police unit says the hunt for a high-profile murder suspect is believed to be over.

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says in a release that Conor D’Monte, an alleged leader of a B.C. gang called United Nations, has been arrested in Puerto Rico after more than a decade-long search.

The unit says D'Monte is wanted for the 2009 murder of Red Scorpions gang member Kevin LeClair.

Police say LeClair was fatally shot at a strip mall in Langley, B.C.

The unit says investigations into gang violence in B.C. led to 18 arrests and 12 convictions of United Nations "gang members and associates" for serious offences, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The unit says it is working with the federal government and Puerto Rican authorities to confirm that the man arrested is D’Monte and arrange for his extradition to Canada so court proceedings against him can begin.

"The work to hold those accountable for their involvement in violent gang activity and to bring closure to the families of the victims does not end with someone’s arrest," RCMP Assistant Commissioner Manny Mann, the unit's chief officer, said in a release Friday.

"We always knew this day would come and we will now continue our efforts to support the extradition and prosecution.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2022.