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A total of 43 people, including those already in custody, have
been indicted on charges that include murder, kidnapping,
extortion, running an illegal gambling operation and drug
trafficking, prosecutors said.
Officers seized 120 pounds (54 kilos) of methamphetamine, more
than eight pounds (four kilos) of fentanyl, along with 25
firearms and more than $30,000 in cash, officials said.
“The stuff that we’re taking off the streets is very, very
dangerous. These guys have no regard for human life. They’re
about making money,” First Assistant United States Attorney Bill
Essayli said during a news conference.
The Mexican Mafia was started in the 1950s at a juvenile jail
and grew to an international criminal organization that controls
smuggling, drug sales and extortion from inside California’s
penal system.
The indictment alleges one leader who was incarcerated used
contraband cellphones to oversee the Mexican Mafia's criminal
activities 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.
“It ran illegal gambling businesses within commercial strip
malls and private residences,” the U.S. Attorney's Office said
in a statement. “The gang collected extortionate taxes and
provided security, including the use of violence, to protect the
illegal gambling businesses.”
The gang is also suspected of a murder at a “gang-controlled”
motel in Anaheim, according to the indictment.
The defendants will begin making their initial appearances
Thursday afternoon in federal court in Los Angeles and Orange
counties.
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