FBI arrests gang members, seizes guns and drugs in LA and OC

Federal authorities Wednesday announced the recent arrests of several gang members suspected of drug and gun crimes in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

The investigation was begun by Anaheim police in July 2019 in a crackdown on a local gang there, according to FBI officials.

A confidential informant worked undercover buying drugs and guns from several of the defendants in the case, the FBI said.

From July 2019 through August 2020 the undercover buys produced about 759 grams of methamphetamine and 23 guns, the FBI said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration seized six additional guns, rifle scopes, AR-15 upper receivers, and a pipe bomb. In some cases, buyers went from Texas to California to trade guns for drugs, the FBI said.

FBI agents seized seven weapons in searches on Wednesday.

In another investigation, authorities charged seven members of a Pico Rivera-based gang with two defendants arrested Wednesday and two still at-large.

In the crackdown on the gang with a reach through the San Fernando Valley authorities seized 22 weapons, as multiple suspects were charged with drug and gun violations.

The FBI also announced at Wednesday’s news conference in Orange that over the past six months 180 guns have been seized, 37 of which were homemade “ghost guns,” virtually untraceable weapons that can be made at home using legally purchased parts to complete the 80% already assembled.

The defendants in the Orange County gang crackdown were identified as:

–Richard Arreola, 47;

–Cristobal Flores, 31;

–Jonathan Castaneda, 23;

–Luis Rodriguez, 26;

–Alejandro Carlos, 39;

–Jose Ibarra, 28;

–Octavio Cortez, 31;

–Joey Macias, 31;

–Javier Jimenez, 34;

–Fernando Sanchez, 23;

–Sergio Perez, 28;

–Ricardo Carlos, 29.