FBI arrests dozen gang leaders in major Los Angeles Mexican Mafia bust
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
SPECIAL: Federal and local law enforcement arrested 14 suspected leaders of the Rancho San Pedro gang in Los Angeles on Tuesday; This ended a years-long investigation into what the FBI called one of the most violent street crews in Southern California and a known offshoot of the Mexican Mafia.
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that the raid was a turning point in the fight against cartel-related gangs.
“The era of freely operating cartels in America is over,” Patel said. “Every day, the FBI and our partners are dismantling violent networks at the source, stripping them of their resources, taking criminals off the streets and saving American lives.”
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office said agents executed 16 search warrants in San Pedro and nearby communities with assistance from the LAPD, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Justice.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY ALLEGED GANG LEADER OFFERED REWARD TO KILL IMMIGRATION OFFICER
A suspect was detained during a raid on a gang allegedly linked to the Mexican Mafia in California. (FBI)
The case began in Los Angeles and targeted the gang’s leaders, seizing guns, narcotics and records from homes and meeting points.
Investigators said the investigation uncovered connections between the Rancho San Pedro, Sinaloa Cartel and the 13th Street gang, which allegedly worked together to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin in Southern California.
The attack targeted a gang of about 500 members spread across six groups that pay “taxes” to Mexican Mafia bosses in state prisons, authorities said.
FBI’S NEW YORK BOSS NEEDED GANGS IN THE ‘RED LIGHT’ AREA WHERE AOC WAS FOUND WITH CRIME
Agents examine detainees during a law enforcement operation targeting an alleged Mexican Mafia-affiliated gang in California. (FBI)
“This action will cause a significant setback for Rancho San Pedro and their Mexican Mafia overlords and will lead to safer streets for San Pedro residents,” said FBI Los Angeles Deputy Director Akil Davis.
Davis said the arrests disrupted the gang’s “command structure.”
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell praised Port Division detectives for building the case “step by step.”
The federal complaint charges 13 defendants and a 14th defendant as criminals under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Prosecutors say the crew trafficked meth, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and PCP while stockpiling weapons to carry out orders.
A police K-9 unit assists agents in taking down an alleged Mexican Mafia-affiliated gang in California. (FBI)
Agents also executed search warrants at affiliated gang locations in the South Bay while tracking cartel supply lines connected to the Sinaloa network.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the case showed “the power of partnerships,” and California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the raids were “removing illegal guns and dangerous drugs from our streets.”
CLICK TO REACH THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Established in the 1970s, Rancho San Pedro reflects the prison-based hierarchy of the Mexican Mafia and punishes disloyalty with assault or execution, according to the complaint.
If convicted, most of the defendants face life in federal prison.
All 14 were to be arraigned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Officials said additional arrests may be made as the investigation continues.
