Twenty-nine suspected members of a street gang that federal authorities say has terrorized residents of the Ramona Gardens housing complex in Boyle Heights for decades were arrested today during a law enforcement sweep.
Of the people arrested during the raids — which involved about 800 law enforcement personnel — 25 were among 38 named in a federal indictment targeting the Big Hazard gang that authorities contend has been operating in the Boyle Heights area for 70 years. Seven other defendants were already in custody, five remain at large and one was killed over the weekend, federal prosecutors said.
As a result of the investigation, another five people were separately indicted on narcotics charges, and four of them were also arrested today, prosecutors said.
The initial indictment outlines alleged criminal acts dating back to 2007, including drug deals, intimidation, violence against people believed to have cooperated with law enforcement, illegal weapons sales and threats against black residents of Ramona Gardens, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said the Hazard gang is closely aligned with the Mexican Mafia.
