Posted on 10/21/2010 3:51:11 PM PDT by La Lydia
LOS ANGELES - More than 800 federal and local law enforcement officers fanned out across the Southland Thursday morning in a massive takedown capping a three-year, multi-agency investigation that targeted major methamphetamine and cocaine suppliers to some of the most violent street gangs based in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and La Puente. As of mid-morning, 40 of the suspects facing federal charges in the case were in custody. A total of 21 are still being sought. Additionally, one other individual was detained on a state parole violation. Besides the arrests, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office filed a civil "abatement" lawsuit Thursday to shut down drug trafficking activities at a notorious hotel used as a hangout by a Harbor Area gang.
Thursday's arrests come after a federal grand jury returned six indictments that name a total of 61 defendants, many of them documented gang members, who allegedly trafficked in large quantities of cocaine and meth that various gangs resold. The charges in the indictments include conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine as well as firearms violations. The federal defendants were expected to be arraigned in United States District Court Thursday afternoon.
"This collaborative law enforcement action began as an investigation into drug trafficking in Wilmington and expanded into a case that charges members of 10 different street gangs," said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. "A federal grand jury has charged key players involved in the distribution of crack cocaine in Wilmington, large-scale methamphetamine dealers in La Puente, and gun traffickers."...
. The law enforcement agencies involved in Operation Red Rein initiated the probe three years ago to identify the origins of the cocaine being distributed as crack by two Harbor Area street gangs -- the East Side Pain and Waterfront Piru. Focusing initially on street-level crack cocaine dealers, investigators identified traffickers who dealt pound quantities of methamphetamine and kilogram quantities of cocaine, much of which was converted into crack cocaine.
One federal indictment charges 40 defendants, many of whom are affiliated with the Wilmington-based East Side Pain street gang, with participating in a conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine and crack cocaine. Using a variety of investigative techniques -- including telephone wiretaps, informants and surveillance -- investigators determined that gang members were responsible for funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of crack cocaine a month onto the streets of the Harbor Area of Los Angeles. This indictment charges Trond Thomas Sr., an East Side Pain member, and Robert Lee Campbell Jr., a Waterfront Piru, both of whom allegedly purchased powder cocaine from defendant Jesus Lamberto Olea, who is a member of the East Side Wilmas. The crack cocaine indictment also charges Marcos Louie Gallardo, a Puente 13 member, with selling cocaine to Thomas, who allegedly converted the powder cocaine to crack cocaine.
During the investigation into cocaine trafficking in the Harbor Area, authorities learned that in addition to selling cocaine, Gallardo was also selling large quantities of methamphetamine in La Puente. This part of the investigation resulted in a second indictment that focuses on the Puente 13 gang and charges 18 defendants in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
The six indictments include defendants who are members of East Side Wilmas, North Side Wilmas, Harbor City Crips, Compton Avenue Crips, Fruit Town Piru, El Monte Flores and Primera Flats...
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Six indictments....800 LEO people....ridiculous....our tax dollar at work...or not?
Say, anyone know? Are any of these groups officially identified in studies by NAACP, Southern Poverty Law Center, etc. as "hate groups"--considering what they do??
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