The FBI announced
it made 11 additional arrests this morning tied to a Hawaiian Gardens
gang, upping the number of defendants to 24 in the final phase of the
nation's largest-ever gang investigation and prosecution that included the participation of Orange County law enforcement agencies and is credited with taking more than 300 gang-bangers off Southern California streets.
Dubbed
“Operation Knock Out” and involving agencies in four
Southern California counties, the sweeping
racketeering investigation allegedly uncovered a drug
pipeline to and from members of the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang. In
the
latest and final phase of the investigation, authorities seized eight
firearms, more than 400
rounds of ammunition, one pound of methamphetamine and a ballistic
vest.
]
All tolled, federal
authorities have unsealed indictments charging 192 defendants, 132
of whom have been taken into custody. Combined with charges associated
with the probe that were filed in state court, Operation Knock
Out has taken more than 300 gang members and associates have been swept up,
according to the FBI.
“This extremely
successful investigation has led to a series of federal indictments
against nearly 200 defendants who face the potential of lengthy prison
sentences in federal penitentiaries, where there is no parole,” said
U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien. “The experience of conducting
the largest gang sweep in U.S. history has taught us the power of law
enforcement joining together to target criminal organizations that
cause so much pain in our communities.”
Other gangs that have been swept up include East Side
Paramount, 18th Street, Morton Town Stoners, Santanas, Carmelas, Varrio
Grape Street Watts, Compton T-Flats and Nazi Low-Riders. The investigation into
the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang began after the fatal shooting of Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Ortiz, who was gunned down four years
ago by a gang member he was attempting to arrest.
Among the area agencies that provided support during investigations and
operations were: Long Beach
Police Department, Buena Park Police Department, Costa Mesa
Police Department and the Joint Forces Training Base at Los Alamitos.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.