The man was caught in handcuffs with his hands behind his back
Authorities from across California are uniting for a massive crackdown on a “violent street criminal organization” in Los Angeles.
Operation Safe Harbor targeted the unidentified gang, which is said to be responsible for operating a drug and arms trafficking network across the state, and is also involved in a number of violent crimes.
The sweeping investigation began on June 1, and on Sept. 28, seven search warrants were served at undisclosed locations in Los Angeles County. During that operation, 10 people were arrested on felony charges, 14 guns were recovered, including two ghost guns and a short-barreled rifle, and $4,000 in cash was seized.
That operation also led to the identification of additional roots in the criminal enterprise, resulting in additional arrests in Kern and Tulare counties.
In total, the law enforcement operation resulted in 27 arrests, 30 firearms seized, and the recovery of a large cache of illegal drugs that included fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.
Those arrested were referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to await possible felony charges for transportation and possession of drugs and conspiracy to commit a crime.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said these latest arrests “send a strong message” to organized crime and said partners across the state are making progress in taking down dangerous drugs. and weapons from the road in California.
“I thank our DOJ agents and law enforcement partners for the hours of work they put into this case and for their work to make California safer. Tonight, the families of Los Angeles can live and sleep with greater peace of mind as a result of this investigation.
While the California DOJ did not specifically identify the street gang involved in this latest operation, Donald Alway, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said the arrests were made as part of an ongoing investigation into ” Mexican Mafia and cartel-affiliated street gangs plague the Harbor area with violent crime, drugs and illegal guns.”
Bonta said his DOJ continues to prioritize working with local, state and federal partners to dismantle human trafficking rings, prevent gun violence, fight retail theft, dismantle street gangs and ending the fentanyl crisis.
