(09/13/06) NEWARK ? FBI agents arrested 22 suspected members of the Crips street gang during a series of early-morning raids in Essex County Wednesday.

More than 100 federal agents and local police officers coordinated the raids that took place in Newark, Irvington and East Orange. The suspected gang members are facing charges ranging from drug distribution to selling assault weapons. A spokesperson for the FBI office in Newark says the individuals arrested are high-level members of the Crips, not just street dealers.

According to FBI agents, the arrests represent the culmination of a yearlong investigation. Investigators say they recovered 16 guns, 500 ecstasy pills and half a kilo of cocaine during the raids. If convicted, most of the suspects could serve nearly 20 years in prison.