Federal and local law enforcement agencies announced a massive drug raid in multiple Southern California locations on Wednesday, arresting 18 people, including two who they believe are the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine in MacArthur Park.
The raid, which was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in coordination with the Los Angeles Police Department, focused mainly on MacArthur Park but also included arrests in Calabasas, San Gabriel and South L.A., the DEA confirmed.
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The 18 suspects were arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging them with a federal drug trafficking offense, the Department of Justice announced. The complaint charges 25 defendants with possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance. Seven people are still being sought by law enforcement.
As part of the arrests made in those cities, agents seized nearly 19 kilograms of fentanyl, worth about $8 million to $10 million, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, adding that he believes these drugs are from the Sinaloa cartel.
The DOJ said “Operation Free MacArthur Park” aims to address what it described as an open-air drug market running rampant in the park, involving massive amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine. They noted that it is not an immigration operation.
According to the DEA, it is targeting drug dealers who are connected to cartels. {snip}
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DEA officials added that another objective of the operation is about “cleaning up the community” ahead of the World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
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According to the criminal complaint, Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, 31, and her boyfriend, Jackson Tarfur, 28, both of the Westmont area of South Los Angeles, “serve as the, if not one of the main sources of supply of fentanyl powder and methamphetamine distributed in the Alvarado Corridor and MacArthur Park, generally on behalf of the 18th Street Gang.”
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The complaint also identifies Yolanda Iriarte-Avila, 40, of Calabasas, as a source of supply of methamphetamine for Moreno-Lopez, via Iriarte-Avila’s boyfriend, Jesus Morales-Landel, 33, of the Exposition Park area of South Los Angeles, who is reportedly a street-level drug dealer in the MacArthur Park area. Iriarte-Avila is accused of using her residence as a stash location for subsequent drug distribution.
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The post 18 Arrested, 40 Pounds of Fentanyl Seized in Drug Raid at Macarthur Park, Calabasas, San Gabriel appeared first on American Renaissance.
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