Federal agents arrest 12 alleged members of LA's massive 18th Street gang drug trafficking operation

A dozen alleged members and associates of a notorious Los Angeles street gang were arrested in a sweeping federal takedown Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced.

Authorities say the suspects are tied to 18th Street, the city’s largest street gang, which evaded law enforcement by using tents to blend in with the homeless population. Investigators allege the group trafficked drugs across Los Angeles, operating mainly in MacArthur Park and Skid Row.

"A total of seven federal indictments charge members of this gang," Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said. "18th Street has harmed MacArthur Park residents and turned the park into a crime-infested area full of drug addicts and the criminals who enable them."  

The gang is alleged to have grown into a massive criminal organization with ties to the Mexican Mafia. Members face charges including murder, extortion, racketeering, conspiracy and drug trafficking. In one instance, prosecutors said a member murdered a drug trafficker in retaliation for failing to pay the gang’s extortionate "taxes."

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As part of the takedown known as "Operation Dead Horse," authorities arrested the gang’s alleged street boss and second-in-command, Keiko Marie Gonzalez, 59, known as "Moms." 

Prosecutors say she communicated directly with an incarcerated Mexican Mafia member who maintained ultimate control over the 18th Street gang from a California state prison, acting as the critical link between the prison leadership and street-level operation.

Prosecutors say she held the authority to order the murders of her own gang members, rivals, and other drug traffickers. In July 2022, she called for the murder of a woman who failed to pay extortion "taxes" related to her drug trafficking activities within their territory.

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Two other members, George Carillo and Carlos Beltran, are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for the killing.

Along with drug trafficking and murder, the gang ran illegal gambling establishments known as "casitas" and engaged in organized extortion.

Prosecutors said agents on Thursday seized roughly $80,000 in cash, six firearms, as well as several pounds of drugs. During the overall investigation, law enforcement recovered 175 pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Six other suspects remain at large, authorities said. Two are believed to have fled internationally, one to Mexico and another to Guatemala.

Five of the defendants arrested were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

If convicted, street boss Gonzalez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and the accused shooters, Carillo and Beltran, face mandatory life sentences.