PROVIDENCE — Four members of a Laotian gang, including one who was recently released from prison after serving time for participating in a home invasion in Warwick, were arrested at gunpoint Thursday night in an undercover sting operation.

The arrests provide a chilling insight into Laos Pride, a violent Providence-based street gang that appeared willing and eager to burst into the home of a fictitious drug dealer, bind the victims and grab 6 kilograms of cocaine.

The suspects were armed with “burners,” — street parlance for guns — court papers show.

Federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Souvanh Keosouvanh, 27, of 673 Atwells Ave., Providence; Nheat Nhim, 21, of 329 Webster Ave., Cranston; Vixay Phommarath, 20, unknown address; and Khek Choummalaithong, 28, of 74 Pekin St., Providence.

Each appeared in U.S. District Court yesterday afternoon on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to commit robbery. Keosouvanh, Nhim and Choummalaithong also were charged with being felons in possession of firearms.

District Court Magistrate Lincoln D. Almond ordered them held without bail.

Keosouvanh, according to an ATF affidavit in support of the arrest warrants, was the leader of the gang. In 2001, he was convicted of charges stemming from an armed home invasion in the Buttonwoods section of Warwick. He was sentenced to 20 years in the Adult Correctional Institutions — 6 years to serve with 14 years suspended. He was paroled about eight months ago.

The affidavit notes that the criminal investigation was launched in March when an ATF agent got a tip that Keosouvanh was dealing crack cocaine and Ecstasy in Providence. The agent also learned that Keosouvanh owned a semiautomatic handgun.

A few days later, says the affidavit, Keosouvanh called the agent’s undercover telephone number. The agent told him that he was a “courier” who moved drugs between Providence and Boston.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the agent allegedly bought Ecstasy from Keosouvanh and the two developed a working relationship. Several of their meetings were recorded in the agent’s car, which is equipped with hidden video and audio recording equipment.

On March 28, the agent broached the subject of robbing a drug supplier that he had dealings with in Providence. The agent, according to the affidavit, said he was in the process of switching to another drug dealer.

Keosouvanh allegedly told the agent that his five years in prison taught him not to trust anyone.

Nonetheless, the gang leader could not resist the possibility of a lucrative drug “rip,” the affidavit says.

“I got people that are really good at that,” Keosouvanh is quoted as saying in the affidavit. “They’re really good at that, and they won’t talk. I guarantee.”

He also boasted about his quickness and criminal acumen.

“I’ve been doing home invasions since I was 15, and I was finally caught at the age of 20,” Keosouvanh is quoted as saying.

In subsequent meetings, the agent and Keosouvanh talked about the drug stash house. Keosouvanh, the affidavit says, wanted details on how many people would be in the house and how much cocaine was stored there.

The agent assured him that there would be 5 or 6 kilograms. Keosouvanh told the agent that 2 of the kilograms would go to “his Laotian crew” and that they would split the other 3 kilograms. He told the agent that he could sell each kilogram for $22,000 to $23,000.

On April 13, Keosouvanh was growing impatient. The affidavit states that he was eager to rob the drug dealer. “When is it? When is it? You’re keeping us waiting,” he allegedly said.

That led to Thursday night. Around 8:15, the agent met Keosouvanh and the three other suspects at a prearranged spot in Providence. The four men climbed into the agent’s car. All of them were armed with weapons, including Choummalaithong, who carried a shotgun wrapped in a sweatshirt.

They drove to Cranston and discussed details of the robbery plan. At 8:45 p.m., they arrived at the Cranston location and got ready to climb into a second car that the undercover agent kept in a storage container. First, they studied a map and finalized the last details of the robbery.

Minutes later, a team of ATF agents descended on the gang and arrested them at gunpoint. A 12-gauge shotgun and two pistols were recovered at the scene.

bmalinow@projo.com