SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — More than two dozen members and associates of the Mexican Mafia were arrested Thursday during an early morning crackdown across Southern California, federal authorities said.
The FBI and other federal and local agencies executed search and arrest warrants at about 30 locations mostly in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A total of 43 people, including those already in custody, have been indicted on charges such as murder, kidnapping, extortion, running an illegal gambling operation, and drug trafficking.
Officers seized 120 pounds (54 kilos) of methamphetamine, over eight pounds (four kilos) of fentanyl, along with 25 firearms and more than $30,000 in cash.
“The stuff that we’re taking off the streets is very, very dangerous. These guys have no regard for human life. They’re about making money,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli at a news conference.
The Mexican Mafia, founded in the 1950s within juvenile detention facilities, has evolved into a global organized crime syndicate, extorting and controlling drug sales from within California’s prison system.
The indictment alleges that a leader still incarcerated used contraband cellphones to direct operations from within his prison cell, including orchestrating kidnappings and assaults.
“It ran illegal gambling businesses within commercial strip malls and private residences,” noted the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The gang collected extortionate taxes and provided security, including the use of violence, to protect the illegal gambling businesses.”
The gang is also implicated in a murder at a “gang-controlled” motel in Anaheim, according to the indictment.
The defendants are set to make their initial appearances in federal court in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
