More than two dozen members and associates of the Mexican Mafia criminal group were arrested Thursday during a police operation carried out at dawn in Southern California, authorities reported. The FBI and other federal and local agencies carried out the searches and arrests, which took place primarily in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Including defendants already in custody, a total of 43 people have been charged with felony offenses including murder, kidnapping, extortion, operating an illegal gambling operation, and narcotics trafficking, prosecutors said.
“These arrests send a clear message: organized crime and violence will not be tolerated in Santa Ana,” declared Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez. “Through strong alliances with our local and federal counterparts, we will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities,” he added.
The 66-count indictment alleges that one of its leaders, Luis Cardenas, who was incarcerated, used contraband cell phones to oversee the Mexican Mafia’s criminal activities from his prison cell between June 2024 and April 2026. According to court documents, this individual gave orders to street gang members to kidnap and assault people. The gang is also alleged to have sold drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
Agents seized four kilograms (8.8 pounds) of fentanyl, 54.4 kilograms (120 pounds) of methamphetamine, 0.9 kilograms (two pounds) of heroin, three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of cocaine, 25 firearms, and more than $30,000 in cash.
“Those accused of operating their own ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ in Orange County — through trafficking illicit drugs and committing assaults and murders, among other crimes — are being held accountable today,” stated Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
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Two of those arrested are accused of murdering a victim at a gang-controlled motel in Anaheim to advance within the criminal organization. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment and even the death penalty. Cardenas and three other members allegedly also directed the kidnapping and assault of a victim who was employed at a slap house (drug sales house) controlled by Cardenas in Stanton. The penalty for kidnapping is life imprisonment in federal prison.
Despite the name, the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme, does not have origins in Mexico, but rather emerged in U.S. prisons. Authorities consider it the most powerful criminal gang in California prisons. It is estimated that there are between 350 and 500 official members of the group, with thousands of hitmen and associates inside prisons, and more than 50,000 foot soldiers who also carry out their illicit activities on the streets in the hope of becoming full members. Leaders direct illicit activities from prisons and collect a share of the profits from drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and other crimes committed on the streets.
According to agents, the detainees operated illegal gambling businesses in shopping centers and private residences. The gang collected extortionate taxes and provided security — including the use of violence — to protect these illegal gambling businesses.
“Gang members who murder, extort, kidnap, and traffic drugs and firearms pose a threat to our communities and our way of life,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “Today’s arrests highlight the ongoing cooperation between federal and local law enforcement against violent criminals, as well as our unwavering determination to combat organized crime both in our prisons and on our streets.”
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