Police Used A Drill Music Video to Arrest 20 Alleged Gang Members As Part of ‘Operation Drilly’

Aspiring rappers are said to be incriminating themselves on drill rap songs, and police are using the lyrics as evidence for indictments.

On Thursday, April 7, 20 people, including four teenagers, were charged with various violent crimes throughout the Bronx, Norwood News reports. The defendants are all alleged members of the G-Side/Drilly gang, a subset of the Bloods Sex Money Murder gang that allegedly carried out 32 offenses between Sept. 20, 2018, and March 15, 2022.

The indictment includes charges of conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, assault, attempted assault, and grand larceny. The crimes reportedly killed two people and left six injured.

According to reports, Lee Drilly, a teen rapper based out of New York City, was among the group of 20 alleged gang members taken into police custody and named in the 82-count indictment. In an investigation dubbed “Operation Drilly,” police used Drilly’s music as evidence of a series of killings, including the deaths of 20-year-old Delila Vasquez in 2021 and 24-year-old James Rivera in 2020.

18 guns recovered and 20 Alleged G-Side/Drilly Gang Members Indicted for 32 acts of violence including Murders, Non-fatal Shootings and Stabbings in Fordham/Bedford Park area. Listen to the announcement from DA Clark and the NYPD @NYPDnews pic.twitter.com/BBEAMeiwLL

— Bronx DA Darcel D. Clark (@BronxDAClark) April 7, 2022

During the arrests, authorities recovered 18 firearms, and three defendants were also charged for allegedly committing an act of violence on Rikers Island.

“These defendants allegedly engaged in dozens of acts of violence, including murder and attempted murder, over the last three years, with the most recent just a few weeks ago,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said.

“The defendants allegedly committed multiple shootings, some in broad daylight, killing two people and injuring innocent bystanders.”

If convicted of the top count of first-degree conspiracy, four of the defendants face a minimum of 15 to 25 years to a maximum of life in prison. Three defendants were arraigned on Tuesday, April 5.

The arrests resemble that of rapper Bobby Shmurda who was released from prison in 2021 after serving seven years. The Brooklyn rapper’s 2014 arrest came at the height of his career following the release of his hit single “Hot Ni**a.”

In the song, Shmurda is said to have named a few of his co-defendants who were charged in connection with violent crimes.

Here is the actual video: