Massive Raid Targets Gang Tied To Slaying Of LAPD Officer

LOS ANGELES, CA — A federal grand jury indictment unsealed Tuesday revealed a massive Los Angeles County gang crackdown involving 37 defendants, 23 of whom were arrested Tuesday morning on charges including murder, fentanyl trafficking and extortion.

Notably, the case guts the entrenched South L.A. gang linked to the 2022 killing of an off-duty Los Angeles police officer, who was shot during a robbery while house-hunting with his girlfriend. Three Florencia 13 gang members have since pleaded guilty for their roles in the shooting death of Los Angeles Police Department Officer Fernando Arroyos and are awaiting sentencing. But the slaying struck a chord within the Los Angeles County sheriff's and police departments, who held it up as an example of the depths of lawlessness and depravity in Los Angeles. They vowed a crackdown.

Now, with 23 suspects arrested Tuesday on a myriad of gang-related charges, authorities are searching for eight more defendants, including multiple people currently believed to be fugitives in Mexico.

As part of the investigation, law enforcement allegedly seized nearly 21 pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of fentanyl and 6.5 pounds of heroin. Authorities also have seized 25 firearms and about $70,000 in cash connected to the investigation, prosecutors said.

“Florencia-13 is known for its barbaric tactics which, tragically, resulted in several murders alleged in the indictment,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “Residents of the community in which Florencia-13 operates deserve to live their lives without fear from violence and extortion, and this joint investigation demonstrates our shared commitment to that goal.”

The gang, which has grown in power and numbers since the turn of the century, has been a scourge on the community, according to prosecutors.

“Today’s coordinated takedown of gang members associated with the ‘Florencia 13’ criminal street gang creates safer neighborhoods by removing dangerous individuals from our communities and disrupting their criminal network that fuels this violence,” said Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “By removing key offenders from our streets who instill fear and terrorize our communities, we are taking decisive action to restore safety and enhance the quality of life for all residents. Our commitment to reducing gang violence remains unwavering as we work together to build safer, stronger communities.”

According to prosecutors, the bulk of the charges come from two federal grand jury indictments targeting Florencia 13. The first indictment charges 19 defendants – including Celerino Jaramillo, 30, AKA “Bizzy,” of South Los Angeles, a “shot caller” in one of F13’s cliques – with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, according to the Justice Department.

"Through murder, drug trafficking, violent robberies, and other criminal behavior, street gangs bring devastation upon our communities," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.

"We must stand united against gang violence. Today's arrests and seizures demonstrate that we will be relentless in combating these criminal organizations," he said.

During one incident in October 2022, a mob of the gang's members, allegedly including Jonathan Reyes, 19, of South Los Angeles, beat one victim to death in the early morning outside a bar in the Florence-Firestone neighborhood. The victim was stomped, kicked, and punched, and beaten with a baseball bat, federal prosecutors contend.

The indictment further alleges that Jaramillo and co-defendant Oscar Hernandez, 30, of South Los Angeles, on June 19, 2023, murdered a victim identified in court documents as R.A., a gang member who had violated the gang's rules. The day after R.A. was shot and killed, Jaramillo allegedly told fellow gang members that he wanted Hernandez inducted into a clique of the gang because he proved to be "solid," according to papers filed in federal court.

The following month, Jaramillo and Hugo Armando Pineda, 36, of South Los Angeles, allegedly murdered D.E., another gang member in bad standing, according to prosecutors.

The rest of the updated indictment alleges a series of criminal activity by Jaramillo and others, including the running of "casitas," or illegal after-hours bars and clubs, involving the collection of extortionate "taxes" and the trafficking of drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, and the illegal use and possession of firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A second indictment unsealed Tuesday charges eight alleged gang associates — including Saul Ayon Quintero, 50, of Bellflower — with drug- related crimes, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, and illegally using and possessing firearms and ammunition.

Finally, nine additional gang members and associates are charged in eight separate indictments with methamphetamine distribution counts, and another gang member is charged in a separate indictment with possession of an unregistered firearm and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, prosecutors said.

If convicted, most of the defendants would face a sentence between 10 years and life in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The three F13 members awaiting sentencing for their roles in the 2022 killing of Arroyos, the LAPD officer, await sentencing in September when they face decades to life in prison.

They are:

• Luis Alfredo De La Rosa Rios, 29, an F13 member also known as "Lil J";
• Ernesto Cisneros, 22, an F13 member also known as "Gonzo";
• Jesse Contreras, 34, an F13 member who claimed a moniker of "Skinny Jack," but who also may be known as "Flaco".

Haylee Marie Grisham, 18, Rios' girlfriend, who also pleaded guilty for her role in the robbery-killing, has not been identified as an F13 member.

The shooting occurred about 9:15 p.m. on a Monday in the 8700 block of Beach Street, near Firestone Boulevard, in the unincorporated Firestone-Florence area, authorities said.

According to the complaint filed by FBI Special Agent Seamus Kane, Rios admitted in an interview with sheriff's detectives his involvement in the killing, saying he and the other defendants were driving around looking to "make money," which he further explained meant to rob a person of property or money.

According to prosecutors, Rios and Cisneros exited a black pickup truck and confronted Arroyos, a three-year veteran of the LAPD, and his girlfriend as they were searching for a home to purchase in the area.

The two allegedly pointed guns at the victims and removed property from both, including the chains from Arroyos' neck.

Then LAPD Chief Michel Moore described the shooting with dismay at the time.

“That the level of civility at this time right now is at such a record-low that a simple robbery would escalate into a murder for two chains and a wallet is unfathomable.”

City News Service contributed to this report.