5 Arrested In Crackdown On Mexican Mafia Across SoCal

SAN DIEGO, CA — Authorities Thursday arrested five people believed to be associated with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, the FBI announced.

As part of a multi-agency investigation led by the FBI's San Diego Field Office, authorities also seized guns, drugs and alleged criminal proceeds, the federal agency said.

"Removing violent criminals from our streets and seizing their resources is a top priority for the FBI and paramount to our mission of protecting the American people," said Mark Dargis, special agent in charge of the San Diego Field Office. "Today's successful operation is another example of what we can accomplish by working closely with our law enforcement partners on the shared goal of safer communities."

The suspects will face federal charges of operating an illegal gambling establishment, money laundering and importation of methamphetamine, according to the FBI.

Since the start of the investigation, the FBI, the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Imperial County Sheriff's Office, and other law enforcement agencies have executed a number of search warrants and seized U.S. currency, drugs, firearms, electronics, and gambling machines. The ongoing investigation has so far resulted in the arrests of 16 suspected associates of the Mexican Mafia, the agency said.