News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 01, 2011
Contact: SA Sarah Pullen Public Information Officer
Number: 213-621-6827

Los Angeles Roundup Targets 38th Street Gang

Joint Law Enforcement Effort Leads to Nearly Five Dozen Taken into Custody for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Gun Sales, Extortion and Violent Attacks

FEB 01 - LOS ANGELES – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced today that nearly 800 law enforcement officers this morning targeted members and associates of the 38th Street gang, arresting dozens of defendants, many of whom are named in a federal racketeering indictment that alleges a host of violent crimes, large-scale drug trafficking and extortion of both drug dealers and legitimate businesses.

This morning’s operation involved officers with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and special agents with DEA and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF ). A total of 37 defendants were arrested pursuant to federal indictments, and 20 more individuals were taken into custody on state weapons and narcotics charges. Fourteen of the defendants named in the federal cases were already in custody, leaving seven federal fugitives who are currently being sought by authorities.

During this morning’s operation, authorities seized approximately seven kilograms of cocaine, one pound of methamphetamine, 23 firearms and approximately $250,000 in cash.

The 38th Street gang, one of Southern California’s oldest, is the subject of a 130-page grand jury indictment that alleges violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO ) statute. Fifty defendants are charged with violating the federal RICO Act by acting on behalf of the gang and participating in murders, murder plots, attempted murders, narcotics trafficking, robberies, extortion and witness intimidation. The racketeering count alleges 250 overt acts, many of them violent crimes, including assaults on rival gang members and law enforcement officers.

Most of the defendants in the racketeering case face up to life in federal prison if they are convicted.

“The 38th Street gang has had a devastating impact throughout the communities of South Los Angeles,â€