California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the results of a multiagency effort — “Operation Safe Harbor” — targeting a violent criminal street organization in Los Angeles. Members of the organized criminal group were allegedly operating a statewide narcotics and firearm trafficking network throughout California and responsible for a number of violent acts. The effort by the California Department of Justice’s Special Operation Unit, the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulare and Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), resulted in the arrest of 27 suspects, the seizure of 30 weapons including ghost guns, as well as illegal narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and PCP.
“Today, we are sending a strong message that organized criminal enterprises cannot stand up to the power of good law enforcement work,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today we’ve taken dangerous drugs and weapons off our streets and protected the people of Los Angeles from the ongoing threats that this group caused. I thank our DOJ agents and law enforcement partners for the hours of work they have put into this case and for their work to make California safer. Tonight, Los Angeles families can live and sleep with greater peace of mind as a result of this investigation.”
"I’m thankful for the collaborative efforts of our federal and state partners in keeping guns and drugs off of our streets," said Michel Moore, the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. "Through these partnerships, we are best able to serve the people of Los Angeles and beyond. We will not stop looking for those who are selling these deadly products."
"These arrests are the result of a continuing investigation into Mexican Mafia and cartel-affiliated street gangs which have plagued the Harbor area with violent crime, drugs and illegal guns," said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. "The FBI will continue to devote resources to this strong law enforcement partnership with the goal of restoring safe streets for law abiding citizens."
“These enforcement actions demonstrate how seriously we take our commitment to safeguarding the community against dangerous individuals who distribute firearms and illegal drugs like fentanyl,” said Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “Targeting criminal street gangs is a critical part of our fight to reduce violent crime in our communities.”
At the conclusion of the investigation which began on June 1, 2023, agents carried out a large- scale operation on September 28, 2023, serving seven search warrants, making 10 felony arrests recovering 14 firearms, including two ghost guns and one short-barreled rifle, seizing approximately $4,000, and intercepting various amounts of narcotics. In addition, two stolen vehicles were recovered. Additionally, the investigation uncovered additional arms of the criminal enterprise, resulting in additional arrests and investigations in communities throughout California, including in Tulare and Kern Counties.
As a result of the overall investigation, in total, 27 arrests were made, 30 firearms seized, and illegal narcotics seized including 72,115 fentanyl pills, 1.7 pounds of fentanyl powder, 143 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.7 pounds of heroin, 1.9 pounds of cocaine, 1.7 of pounds PCP, and $44,000.
The suspects have been referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for potential filing of felony charges including, transportation of controlled substance, possession of controlled substance for sale, conspiracy to commit crime and felon in possession of a firearm.
Through collaboration, the DOJ Special Operations Unit provides statewide enforcement for combating violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers. These unique and essential teams use the latest technology and advanced investigative techniques and work alongside local law enforcement to enhance investigations into violent criminals and organized crime throughout the state.
Attorney General Bonta continues DOJ’s work with local, state, and federal partners to:
- End the fentanyl crisis through efforts with state and local law partners, securing ongoing funding for DOJ fentanyl enforcement, operations to remove fentanyl from California communities including in Placer, Merced, Fresno, and Orange Counties, and legal actions to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable. Since April 2022, DOJ fentanyl seizures totaled approximately 9,348,852 fentanyl pills seized, 1,213 pounds of powder seized, and over 200 arrests.
- Prevent gun violence through the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, operations to get guns out of the hands of prohibited persons; and legislation to strengthen California laws and the hold the firearm industry accountable.
- Take down human trafficking rings in San Diego, Kings County, and throughout California, and launching Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Teams within the DOJ. To date, the teams have arrested approximately 649 traffickers and assisted or supported 650 victims in operations throughout the state.
- Combat retail theft by securing felony sentencing in one of the largest organized retail theft operations ever busted in California history, announcing felony charges against members of a statewide organized retail theft ring, filing charges in operations involving thefts of Home Depot, Apple stores, and Microsoft, by bringing law enforcement and retailers together to address this problem head-on, and creating better communication and information-sharing with retailers and online marketplaces.
- Dismantle gangs and protect neighborhoods in Fresno, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Stockton, Visalia, and Yuba City.
- Work together with the community to find public safety solutions in Stockton and San Diego.
- Protect elders from abuse and neglect by prosecuting bad actors who steal, defraud, or harm and abuse our elders.