Two Major Gang Stings Rock Southern California Underworld [Video]

Dignitas News Service ^ | December 12, 2014 | Dignitas News Team

[dignitasnews]

Two major law enforcement stings targeting Southern California gangs have rocked the Los Angeles and San Diego underworld. The FBI conducted raids against two major gangs this week, arresting more than 50 gangsters and associates involved in numerous rackets, from drug trafficking to underage prostitution. Members of East LA's Big Hazard gang were rounded up Wednesday morning, while Federal officials in San Diego Thursday indicted 22 members of the Tycoons syndicate, involving members from various local street gangs.

Big Hazard, aka Hazard Grande, East Los Angeles

In a massive undertaking dubbed Operation Resident Evil, more than 800 law enforcement officials from various local, state and federal agencies swept in during early morning raids, taking down leaders of one of Los Angeles' oldest and most feared street gangs. The Big Hazard gang, also known as Hazard Grande, controls neighborhoods throughout the Boyle Heights area of East LA, traces it roots back to the 1950's and has been a continued source of mayhem and control of local rackets and maintains strong ties to the notorious prison syndicate,  La Eme, often referred to as the "Mexican Mafia."

38 Big Hazard members were indicted earlier this week by Federal Officials citing the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) Statute. With several gangsters already in custody, officials swooped in on the Ramona Gardens housing complex, home to a number of Big Hazard members and associates. 25 were apprehended, while law enforcement is aggressively pursuing five other suspects. One suspect named in the indictments was killed this past weekend.

The indictment alleged that Big Hazard was a major force in local drug sales, capitalizing on their Mexican Mafia ties and long-standing power as a means to reap vast profits from controlling the drug market in East Los Angeles and elsewhere. It is alleged that Big Hazard was deeply involved in meth (methamphetamine), cocaine, heroin, PCP (phencyclidine), marijuana and other drugs.

Their strength and underworld ties enabled Big Hazard to intimidate and force cooperation of smaller local gangs and independent criminals, who directly paid Big Hazard street "taxes" or utilized their suppliers for their smaller operations. In addition to the drug rackets, the indictment alleged Big Hazard members engaged in robbery, intimidation, hate crimes, blackmail and murder.

“All of the gang’s operations were done under the umbrella of intimidation," announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Yonekura in an official statement, "making threats and then committing acts of violence against rival gangsters, law-abiding members of the community and Hazard gang members who might be cooperating with authorities." She continued, noting that the gangs activities included Jim Crow-era tactics designed to drive out the black residents of the largely Latino area, "The intimidation and threats extended to African-American residents of Ramona Gardens. In stark and simple messages delivered in person and through graffiti, the Hazard gang made it clear that black residents were not welcome in the neighborhood that it claimed to control.”

The 45-count indictment lists La Eme member Manual Larry "Cricket" Jackson as the lead defendant who drove operations of Big Hazard, overseeing the criminal activities of the gang and the other 37 named defendants.  The investigations began as early as February, 2007, when Big Hazard gangsters Luis "Huero" Ortiz and David "Crow" Smith assaulted a local resident. The following year Fernando "Solo" Amezcua directed the extortion of money from a local resident who allowed law enforcement to search his home while in pursuit of a Big Hazard suspect. This and other brazen acts of criminality against "civilian" residents caused officials to look more closely at the activities of Big Hazard, attracting attention of Federal Officials.

Using criminal informants, law enforcement was able to methodically build a case against the defendants, making the decision to go after Big Hazard with the RICO Statute, considered a "death sentence" by the underworld. Under RICO, if the government is able to establish a given organization as a completely corrupt and illegal enterprise, they are able to put Big Hazard leaders in prison for life. RICO has been used against the Italian-American Mafia (Cosa Nostra), outlaw biker gangs, white supremacists, black nationalists and various criminal groups. If convicted, the Big Hazard leadership structure will be crushed, leaving the running of operations to younger, although not necessarily less violent and nefarious, operatives. The full indictment may be found via the LA Times document section.

YouTube_stknraida13

  Tycoons Syndicate (West Coast Crips), East San Diego

22 suspected San Diego area gangsters, named the Tycoons, were indicted Thursday on allegations of operating a sex-trafficking ring, including forcing girls as young as 12 to participate in prostitution. In a joint-agency efforts, the 19 men and three women named in the indictment will be tried under the RICO Statute, and could face life in prison.

According to the indictment, the defendants are active members of the San Diego underworld, and conspired to recruit more than 100 young women and girls in a prostitution ring with customers throughout the country. Tycoons leaders, who come from the West Coast Crips and other area gangs, would tempt underage girls and young women with promises of drugs, alcohol and a ritzy lifestyle to enter into the sex-trafficking ring. The young girls and women recruited by the Tycoons, raging in age of 12 to their early 20's, primarily reside in the East County of San Diego area, including Spring Valley and Lemon Grove. The indictment claims that the group would resort to violence and intimidation when coercion proved unsuccessful.

West Coast Crips (courtesy of "Lil Devolt" 619Gangs

U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy accused the Tycoons of "stealing the souls of children," and, "“crushing them with false promises, crushing them with physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual slavery — the kind of sexual slavery that leaves scars for a lifetime.” FBI Special Agent Eric Birnbaum stressed the importance of the indictments, stating "this investigation pulls back the curtain on a growing threat involving sexual exploitation occurring in plain sight."

The Tycoons showed themselves to be as stupid as they are evil with numerous Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and social media publications where hey boasted of their exploits. In one particularly disturbing Facebook exchange, two defendants bragged of beating up a recently impregnated young victim in order to kill the baby growing inside her. While the group successfully utilized social media to obtain customers and recruit their victims, it may be their ultimate undoing, as the "gang who couldn't post straight" has left a treasure trove for Federal Prosecutors.

By Dignitas News Service Team

Sources:

UTSanDiego Reuters LATimes UnitedGangs UnitedStatesAttorneysOffice 619Gangs YouTube_stknraida13

[tickedoffnow]

50? When it reaches 5000, let me know.

[maddog55]

Future DOJ & DHS employees.

[pallis]

It sounds like the feds are engaging in a culture war. Sensitivity training may be in order.

[SunkenCiv]

I haven’t checked in a while — what about that Demwit state legislator who allegedly smuggled jihadist weapons while pushing gun confiscation?