Date: October 30, 2007

DEA: Largest So. California Federal Gang Case;
102 Linked to South Los Angeles'

Florencia 13 Gang Now Face Racketeering, Narcotics Charges
Third and Fourth Indictments Unsealed in Investigation that Revealed Attacks against African-Americans in Bid to Control South Los Angeles

OCT 30 -- Authorities with a drug task force this morning undertook the second wave of arrests of members and associates of the Florencia 13, a street gang involved in narcotics distribution and shootings of African-Americans in neighborhoods the gang claimed to control. With the unsealing today of two more indictments, 102 defendants face federal charges ranging from racketeering to narcotics trafficking to illegal weapon possession.

Out of the 41 defendants named in the two indictments unsealed this morning, authorities arrested 18 and 10 are already in custody. After phase one of the arrests two weeks ago, authorities now have 80 defendants in custody on federal charges.

The four indictments, which were returned by a federal grand jury on September 27, result from Operation Joker’s Wild, which was a three-year investigation into Florencia 13 (F13) conducted by the Los Angeles High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); the Los Angeles Police Department; IRS-Criminal Investigation Division; the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles County Probation Department. The Bell Gardens Police Department, the South Gate Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Torrance Police Department, the Baldwin Park Police Department, the Azusa Police Department, the United States Marshals Service-led Regional Fugitive Task Force and California parole agents provide substantial assistance.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Landrum said, "Drugs and guns are always a deadly combination and the Florencia gang used both of them to impose their will on anyone who stood in their way. Unfortunately for them, DEA isn't easily intimidated and remains committed to locking up gang members who continue to bring their violent criminal ways into our communities. Today’s arrests are a testament to the strong relationship that exists between federal, state and local officials to rid the streets of LA of drug gangs.

“The series of indictments that now have been unsealed have delivered a crushing blow to this street gang,â€