Santa Ana, California — More than two dozen Mexican Mafia members and associates were arrested Thursday during an early morning crackdown across Southern California, federal authorities said.
The FBI and other federal and local agencies executed search and arrest warrants at about 30 locations, most of them in Orange County south of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A total of 43 people, including those already in custody, have been indicted on charges including murder, kidnapping, extortion, running an illegal gambling operation and drug trafficking, prosecutors said.
Officials said officers seized 120 pounds (54 kilograms) of methamphetamine, more than eight pounds (four kilograms) of fentanyl, along with 25 firearms and more than $30,000 in cash.
“The things we take off the streets are very dangerous,” Bill Essay, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, said during a news conference. “These people have no regard for human life. They are interested in making money.”
The Mexican Mafia began in the 1950s in a juvenile prison and evolved into an international criminal organization that controlled smuggling, drug sales, and extortion from within the California criminal system.
The indictment alleges that an imprisoned leader used contraband cellphones to supervise the criminal activities of the Mexican Mafia from his state prison cell from June 2024 to April 2026. He directed street gang members to kidnap and assault people, according to court documents. The gang also allegedly sold drugs including fentanyl, meth, heroin and cocaine.
“She operated an illegal gambling business within commercial shopping centers and private residences,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “The gang collected heavy taxes and provided security, including the use of violence, to protect the illegal gambling business.”
The gang is also suspected of committing a murder at a “gang-controlled” hotel in Anaheim, according to the indictment.
The defendants are scheduled to begin their initial appearance Thursday afternoon in federal court in Los Angeles and Orange counties.