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EXCLUSIVE: Federal and local law enforcement officers arrested 14 suspected leaders of the Rancho San Pedro gang Tuesday in Los Angeles, capping a yearslong investigation into what the FBI called one of the most violent street crews in Southern California and a known arm of the Mexican Mafia.
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital the bust marks a turning point in the fight against cartel-linked gangs.
“The era of cartels operating freely in America is over,” Patel said. “Every day, the FBI and our partners are dismantling violent networks at the source, stripping their resources, taking criminals off the streets and saving American lives.”
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office said agents executed 16 search warrants across San Pedro and nearby communities with help from the LAPD, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Justice.
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A suspect is led into custody during a raid on an alleged Mexican Mafia-affiliated gang in California. (FBI)
The case began in Los Angeles and targeted the gang’s leadership, seizing weapons, narcotics and records from homes and meeting spots.
Investigators said the probe uncovered links between Rancho San Pedro, the Sinaloa Cartel and the 13th Street gang — groups allegedly working together to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin throughout Southern California.
Officials said the takedown hit a gang with roughly 500 members spread across six cliques that pay “taxes” to Mexican Mafia bosses in state prisons.
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Agents process detainees during a law enforcement operation targeting an alleged Mexican Mafia-linked gang in California. (FBI)
“This action will cause a significant setback to Rancho San Pedro and their Mexican Mafia overlords and lead to safer streets for San Pedro residents,” said FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director Akil Davis.
Davis said the arrests dismantled “the command structure” of the gang.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell praised Harbor Division detectives for building the case “step by step.”
The federal complaint charges 13 defendants under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and a 14th as a felon in possession. Prosecutors say the crew trafficked meth, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and PCP while stockpiling guns to enforce orders.
A police K-9 unit assists agents during a takedown of an alleged Mexican Mafia-linked gang in California. (FBI)
Agents also served warrants at affiliated gang locations across the South Bay, as they pursued cartel supply lines tied to the Sinaloa network.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the case shows “the power of partnerships,” and California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the raids “took illegal weapons and dangerous drugs off our streets.”
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Rancho San Pedro, founded in the 1970s, mirrors the Mexican Mafia’s prison-based hierarchy and punishes disloyalty with assaults or executions, according to the complaint.
If convicted, most defendants face life in federal prison.
All 14 were due in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Officials said more arrests could follow as the investigation continues.