A massive raid was carried out in Los Angeles and Orange County on Thursday morning, where federal officials busted a Mexican mafia prison gang.
The operation, named “Gangsta’s Paradise,” resulted in the arrest of 43 members and associates of the Mexican mafia in raids in 30 locations. Those arrested are accused of murder, kidnapping, selling fentanyl and meth, extortion, and running illegal gambling businesses known as slap houses.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said there was also a murder at an Anaheim hotel last year.
All of this, Essayli said, was at the order of state inmate Luis Cardenas, who ran everything out of his prison cell.
“Cardenas used an encrypted messaging app on contraband cell phones to direct the gang's high-ranking associates on the streets on the operation of MA's activities in Orange County,” he said.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jaime Alvarado a.k.a. “Junior” and “Brian Barbas,” Karina Cesena, and Mario Flores, a.k.a. “Happy,” were arrested on Thursday morning.
“Others were already behind bars, and some remain at large - fugitives who will soon learn that there's no place left to hide,” Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said. “We are actively seeking two of those fugitives, Luis Bucio and Mario Arias.”
The raids also resulted in the confiscation of drugs such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, firearms, and $30,000 in cash.
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