In a significant crackdown on criminal activities, a six-month collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies has led to the arrest of 39 street gang members in San Diego County. These individuals are believed to be operating under the influence of incarcerated gang leaders with connections to Mexican cartels, as disclosed by the San Diego County district attorney on January 21. The arrests were carried out last Thursday, and the suspects face accusations of involvement in a range of crimes, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, arson, extortion, and trafficking in drugs and weapons.
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Prosecutors have stated that these individuals acted under the instructions of the notorious Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme, which is the largest prison gang. District Attorney Summer Stephan addressed the media, saying, “These criminals took orders from cartel bosses operating in state prison and preyed on business owners by forcing mafia-style taxes.” She further explained that they “dealt illegal drugs, including pounds of deadly fentanyl, committed widespread violence, and trafficked weapons such as ghost guns and AR-15s.”
Among the many cases being investigated, one particularly disturbing incident involves a 15-year-old suspect accused of committing murder. The young suspect reportedly received a weapon from an older gang member. In another shocking case, a business was allegedly targeted with grenades because the owner refused to pay the so-called “tax” imposed by the Mexican Mafia. Stephan recounted, “Why? Because the owner refused to pay the tax that was imposed by the Mexican Mafia.” Other businesses suffered attacks with Molotov cocktails or were robbed.
The Mexican Mafia is said to have orchestrated these crimes from within prison walls, using cellphones to issue orders. A prominent figure in these operations is Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, a 74-year-old from San Diego. Ayala was sentenced to death for the murder of three individuals and the attempted murder of a fourth. However, as Stephan pointed out, “our California Department of Corrections decided to close down death row and to release him into a general population where he has even more influence and access to gang members on the streets.”
The investigation, known as Operation “Los Impuestos,” meaning “taxes” in Spanish, resulted in the seizure of a substantial cache of weapons and drugs. Authorities confiscated 21 handguns, 23 rifles, four shotguns, two grenades, 75 pounds of methamphetamine, 60 pounds of fentanyl, nearly two pounds of cocaine, and over 4,000 M30 fentanyl pills, according to the district attorney’s office.
San Diego law enforcement officials have recognized the terror that gang activities had been inflicting upon communities prior to the takedown. “It had been an ongoing thing,” remarked San Diego Police Department Lt. Chris Tivanian during the press conference. He noted that “victims were very reluctant to come forward,” as gang members had threatened severe reprisals.
“They were told that if you call law enforcement, what we’re doing to you now will only get worse,” Tivanian explained. The gangs had reportedly warned of vandalizing or setting fire to businesses, and even harming or killing employees.
Law enforcement believes that these arrests will restore peace to the affected communities, albeit temporarily, as there remains much work to be done in dismantling these criminal networks. According to the San Diego County district attorney’s office, the Mexican Mafia originated in the California state prison system over 50 years ago. It has since expanded its operations to other states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The prison gang exerts control over both incarcerated and non-incarcerated gang members to further its criminal enterprises. The recent arrests mark a significant step in curbing their influence, but authorities are aware that the battle against such organized crime is far from over.
**End of Epoch Times News Article **
39 San Diego Gang Members Arrested for Crimes Ordered by Mexican Mafia from Prison: -https://www.theblaze.com/news/al-sharpton-boycott-companies-dei
