YouTube Taunt Results in Weapons Arrest

Jan. 16, 2008— -- Two alleged gang members who taunted the Miami Dade Police Department in a video posted on YouTube have been arrested by U.S. agents and charged with federal firearms violations.

Rudy Villanueva and Tony Logan, alleged members of a Miami-Dade County street gang called the Bird Road Boys, were seen in the video brandishing a shotgun, assault rifle and handguns. Villanueva was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement late Tuesday evening, and Logan was arrested early Wednesday morning.

Villanueva, who goes by the names King Bird Road and Bird Road Rudy, is the alleged leader of the gang and is seen on the video saying, "Metro Dade Gang Unit, here I am baby." Villanueva went on in the video to say "we's out here fighting a Cold War" and that "they come at us if they want to."

Logan appears in the video saying "come get it" while flashing gang signs and pulling the triggers of the two handguns he is holding.

"Villanueva and Logan threatened law enforcement. They brandished weapons and told us, 'Here I am baby. … Come get us if you want.' Villanueva said come get me, and we did. We will not tolerate gang threats to our police officers," U.S. attorney Alex Acosta said in a statement.

During a search of Logan's home early Wednesday morning, agents reported finding an AK47 assault rifle, a shotgun and several handguns. The shotgun and the AK47 are believed to be the same firearms seen in the video.

According to court documents, Villanueva waived his Miranda rights and admitted to investigators that he handled firearms and made the threats in the video to instill fear in people who "roll up" on him.

Villanueva, a three-time convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a gun. The video, according to the criminal complaint, was made by Villanueva's girlfriend.

The video, titled "Bird Road Getting in Trouble," was posted Jan. 3 and has since been taken down by YouTube. Gang presence on the Internet, known as "net banging," has been a growing phenomenon in recent years, according to law enforcement officials.