FBI agents and sheriff's deputies serving warrants at the homes of suspected gang members in South Los Angeles seized drugs and guns and made 14 arrests Tuesday, 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 today 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.
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, it relies on senior members who work independently to regulate the criminal activity of the gang and its cliques, Eimiller said.
Eight others arrested today are named in state warrants for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, officials said.
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.
Potential federal penalties range from five years to life in prison, prosecutors said.
