Feds Bust MacArthur Park Drug Market
Federal authorities have dismantled what they describe as an "open-air" drug market in Los Angeles's MacArthur Park. The operation was allegedly run by the 18th Street gang, and the investigation led to multiple arrests and seizures aimed at restoring public safety to the area.
The multi-agency operation, dubbed "Operation Dead Horse," involved the FBI, DEA, and LAPD, culminating in the arrest of 12 individuals associated with the 18th Street gang. Over the course of the investigation, authorities seized more than 175 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl, approximately $80,000 in cash, and multiple firearms. Federal indictments charge seven of those arrested, including the alleged de facto leader Keiko Marie Gonzalez, also known as "Moms," with racketeering conspiracy. Gonzalez allegedly directed the gang's activities on behalf of her incarcerated husband, a member of the Mexican Mafia, with whom the 18th Street gang is affiliated. The charges extend to murder in aid of racketeering for two members, George Carillo and Carlos Beltran. They are accused of carrying out a 2022 killing ordered by Gonzalez of a female drug trafficker who failed to pay the gang's extortionate "taxes" to operate in their territory. The gang exerted control by using tents, camouflaged within homeless encampments around the park, to conduct their sales of fentanyl and methamphetamine. This tactic allowed them to conceal their activities and avoid law enforcement detection while managing a network of dealers. The 18th Street gang has a long history in the Westlake area surrounding MacArthur Park, dating back to the 1960s. The area has historically been a focal point for the gang's drug trafficking activities, leading to increased law enforcement attention over the decades. This federal action is the latest in a series of attempts to address criminal activity and public safety concerns in MacArthur Park, a location long described by officials as an "open-air drug market." The park has been a hub for various illicit activities and the subject of numerous policing initiatives aimed at curbing gang violence and drug sales.
