More than two dozen members and associates of the Mexican mafia were arrested during an early morning crackdown in southern California, federal authorities announced on Thursday.
The FBI, along with other federal and local agencies, executed search and arrest warrants at locations primarily in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A total of 43 individuals have been indicted on charges including murder, kidnapping, extortion, running an illegal gambling operation, and drug trafficking, prosecutors said.
Officers seized 120 pounds (54 kilograms) of methamphetamine, more than 8 pounds (4 kilograms) of fentanyl, 25 firearms, and over $30,000 in cash, officials reported.
The Mexican mafia originated in the 1950s at a juvenile detention facility and evolved into an international criminal organization that controls smuggling, drug sales, and extortion from within California's prison system.
The indictment alleges that one incarcerated leader used contraband cellphones to oversee the Mexican mafia's criminal activities from his prison cell between June 2024 and April of this year. According to court documents, he directed street gang members to kidnap and assault individuals. The gang also allegedly sold drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
“It ran illegal gambling businesses within commercial strip malls and private residences,” the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. “The gang collected extortionate taxes and provided security, including the use of violence, to protect the illegal gambling businesses.”
The gang is also suspected of committing a murder at a “gang-controlled” motel in Anaheim, according to the indictment.
“Gang members who murder, extort, kidnap and traffic drugs and firearms are a menace to our communities and our way of life,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli.
The defendants will begin making their initial appearances in the coming days in federal court in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
