Story Published:
Nov 17, 2009 at 5:12 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Nov 17, 2009 at 5:19 PM PDT
FBI agents and sheriff's deputies serving warrants at the homes of suspected gang members Tuesday in South Los Angeles seized drugs and guns and made 14 arrests, authorities said.
The predawn sweep targeted the Athens Park Bloods and its 127th Street offshoot, according to the FBI.
Nine gang members were charged in a federal indictment and criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Six of those are under arrest, and three others are at large, Laura Eimiller of the FBI said.
Eight others arrested Tuesday are named in state warrants for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, officials said.
Charges include possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine base and firearms violations.
In recent years, federal, state and local officials have staged a series of crackdowns against street gangs they accuse of running drugs and terrorizing neighborhoods.
Federal immigration officials said last month nearly 300 people had been arrested in the Los Angeles area during a six-month anti-gang operation that ended Sept. 30.
The Athens Park Bloods is among the most violent street gangs in the city, according to the FBI. Unlike other gangs, the gang does not have a single leader, or "shotcaller.'' Instead, the gang relies on senior members who work independently to regulate the criminal activity of the gang and its cliques, Eimiller said.
Tuesday's operation targeted senior APB members, especially those affiliated with the 127th Street clique, she said.
Before the charges were announced Tuesday, the FBI's Operation Blood Knot had resulted in 20 arrests of Athens Park Bloods members or associates.
Potential federal penalties range from five years to life in prison, prosecutors said.
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