SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, Calif. () — More than a dozen people were arrested in a gang sweep Wednesday in the San Gabriel Valley on suspicion of drug trafficking, kidnapping, selling weapons and more.
A combination of local law enforcement and federal agents arrested 16 members and associates of a local gang linked to the Mexican Mafia.
The charges include two shootings, kidnapping and illegal sales of weapons and drugs.
In addition to the arrests, weapons and narcotics were seized.
Investigators say the gang, based in La Puente, controls drug dealing in the area and uses violence to maintain control.
Around 4 a.m., multiple federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), joined local law enforcement agencies in executing federal and state warrants on members of the Puente-13 gang and associates.
Warrants were executed at more than 20 locations. Sixteen members and associates of the San Gabriel Valley-based, Mexican Mafia-linked Puente-13 street gang arrested.
During the investigation, the ATF and partners recovered the following:
– 76 firearms – including 14 rifles
– 1 Machinegun Conversion Device
– 4 short-barreled rifles
– 3 firearms with obliterated serial numbers
– 3 pieces of body armor
– Thousands of rounds of ammunition
– Approximately 10 lbs. of methamphetamine
– Thousands of M30 fentanyl & carfentanil pills and fentanyl powder
– $9,500 in cash
– And various stolen goods
“Today’s enforcement operation was the accumulation of an approximately three-year investigation,” ATF Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper said.
A federal criminal complaint alleges the gang’s involvement in one kidnapping, two shootings, illegal firearms sales, and trafficking of narcotics, including methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and carfentanil, a synthetic opioid 100 times more powerful than fentanyl.
“The ATF used advanced investigative techniques such as telephonic and social media electronic intercepts, a fancy way of saying we taped some phones,” Cooper added.
Agents say there are 20 total defendants charged with various crimes.
According to affidavits filed with the complaints, Puente-13 is a street gang based in La Puente, and along with the Mexican Mafia, it controls the distribution of narcotics within its “territory,” maintaining and expanding that control through violence and threats of violence and punishing those in its territory who cooperate with law enforcement.
“Because of their extensive work, we took many guns off the street. We’ve taken a lot more narcotics off the street and ammunition. There are dangerous gang members who will be going to jail,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
The ATF received assistance from the Covina Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the West Covina Police Department, the California Highway Patrol and the Baldwin Park Police Department.
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