Members of SPD's gang and anti-crime team units swooped in and intercepted a convoy of armed gang members in North Seattle last weekend as the group was out hunting for members of a rival gang.

Police records say SPD's gang unit received a tip on Friday night that members of the Seattle Lokotes Salvatruchas 13 (SLS 13, an offshoot of the MS 13 gang) planned to shoot several members of the Little Valley Lokotes 13 (LVL 13) later that night, apparently in retaliation for a previous incident. The previous conflict is not detailed in police records.

The informant provided police with a list of possible targets, and shortly after midnight, plainclothes officers staked out a parking lot at 130th and Aurora and waited for a group of SLS 13 members.

Gang detectives watched as three Mazda trucks—occupied by seven men—puled into the parking lot. A short time later, the trucks headed south on Aurora, and police followed.

Gang detectives and members of the Anti-Crime Team pulled over the three trucks at 44th and Aurora where, according to a witness, officers stopped traffic, drew their guns, and ordered the seven gang members—who were all between 16 and 22 years old—out of the trucks over a loudspeaker.

Police searched the three vehicles and the suspects, and found several handguns pairs of gloves. According to a police document on the incident, "it is common for gang members to wear gloves during a shooting to avoid fingerprints on guns."

When officers asked one gang member why they were armed, the man told police "they had guns with them to protect themselves because they believed they might come across some LVL 13 gang members."

It's unclear from police records how many of the gang members were arrested. An SPD spokesman confirmed that police made at least three arrests, but it's possible all the men—with street names like Vago, Smiley, and Saga—were booked. At least one of the men, who was wearing gloves at the time of his arrest, was on DOC supervision.

Prosecutors say the case has not yet been referred over for charging.