HAMMOND-- Two Chicago police officers who are alleged to have been paid by the Latin Kings street gang to shake down rivals of drugs and cash were among 15 people added to a growing federal probe of gangs operating on the Southeast Side of Chicago and Indiana cities near the Illinois border.



Charges unsealed Friday in federal court in northwest Indiana alleged that plainclothes Officers Alex Guerrero and Antonio C. Martinez wore their badges and police gear while making bogus traffic stops targeting rival drug mules or robbing members of other gangs.



The charges alleged a Latin Kings faction ran drugs from Mexico into northwest Indiana and Chicago and committed a combined 19 murders in Chicago, Indiana and Texas, authorities charged.



Martinez, who resigned in 2009 for unspecified medical reasons, and Guerrero, who remained on duty until his arrest Thursday, were not involved in any of the murders, officials said.



According to the charges, Martinez and Guerrero acted on orders from Sisto "Suge" Bernal, using their police powers in ruses that targeted the alleged gang leader's drug rivals from 2004 to 2006.



After a tip from Bernal, the two stopped a drug mule, confiscated 90 to 100 pounds of marijuana and turned it over to Bernal, the charges alleged. In other instances, they raided the homes of drug dealers in Chicago and Indiana, seizing drugs, cash and firearms that they later gave to Bernal, according to the charges.



Another time the officers staged a traffic stop of Bernal as he was in the middle of a deal with a cocaine trafficker, according to the charges. They took the drugs and later handed them over to Bernal, authorities said.



Each time, Bernal is alleged to have given them several thousand dollars.



At a news conference at the federal courthouse in Hammond, Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said the department felt "violated" by the alleged corruption.



"It's unspeakable, and it's something we cannot tolerate," he said. "It reminds us that we must redouble our efforts to ensure the integrity of our officers.



"I'm glad these officers were arrested. I'm glad they are off the street. ... We draw police officers from the community at large. Therefore, we do not always get the highest quality."



agrimm@tribune.com