A major law enforcement operation was conducted Wednesday morning that targeted the Mexican Mafia and its control of Los Angeles County jails and Pomona street gangs.
Several dozen warrants were served as part of Operation Dirty Thirds, said Laura Eimiller of the FBI. The operation stemmed from two federal racketeering indictments, Eimiller said.
The indictments filed in Los Angeles federal court charge a total of 83 defendants, officials said. As of 10:15 a.m., 29 had been arrested, and 43 were already in custody on other charges.
The indictments detail how the Mexican Mafia was able to control drug trafficking and extortion inside the jail system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office contends the gang members were also responsible for “significant acts of violence” on the streets.
Details of the operation were expected to be released at an afternoon news conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in downtown Los Angeles.