LOS ANGELES – A sweeping, multi-year investigation culminated Tuesday morning with the arrest of multiple alleged members of the notorious Rancho San Pedro (RSP) gang, a violent organization that has plagued the Los Angeles Harbor area for decades. Hundreds of law enforcement personnel, including agents from the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), executed federal and state arrest and search warrants across San Pedro.
Takedown Cripples Gang Leadership
Authorities announced that thirteen individuals have been taken into custody, with eight facing federal charges and five facing state charges. The federal complaint outlines a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Conspiracy (RICO) and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. A fourteenth individual is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In conjunction with the arrests, nine federal and eight state search warrants were executed at various locations.
“Today’s actions will cause a significant setback to Rancho San Pedro and their Mexican Mafia overlords and lead to safer streets for San Pedro residents,” stated Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. Davis emphasized the years of hard work by federal and local investigators in targeting the “upper echelon” of this “extremely violent gang.”
A Gang with Deep Roots and Violent Tendencies
The Rancho San Pedro gang, established in the 1970s, is described as one of the most active and violent gangs operating in the Los Angeles Harbor area. With an estimated 500 members divided into approximately six subsets, or “cliques,” the gang claims the city of San Pedro as its territory. Law enforcement officials allege that the RSP Enterprise is controlled by Mexican Mafia members incarcerated in California state prisons, to whom gang members pay “taxes” for protection. Violations of rules, including cooperation with law enforcement, could result in severe punishment, including death.
The gang is reportedly responsible for a range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking of substances such as methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and PCP. The operation also targeted individuals accused of committing or conspiring to commit acts of violence, robbery, and extortion to fund the enterprise and enhance their own status within the gang.
Collaboration and Future Implications
LAPD Chief of Police Jim McDonnell praised the collaborative efforts, noting that Harbor Division investigators, alongside the FBI and HSI, methodically built a case to expose the criminal enterprise. “This operation delivers a powerful message—we will use every tool available to protect our communities and bring violent offenders to justice,” McDonnell said.
Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli highlighted the operation’s commitment to dismantling violent street gangs, stating, “Together with our federal and local partners, we can make our communities safe for law-abiding citizens.”
Most of the federal defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the charges detailed in the criminal complaint. The investigation serves as a significant demonstration of inter-agency cooperation in addressing organized crime and gang violence in Los Angeles.
This federal action builds upon previous law enforcement efforts targeting the RSP gang. In 2019, federal indictments charged 14 members and associates with narcotics and firearms offenses, also detailing the gang’s operation under Mexican Mafia control and its involvement in distributing various illicit drugs.
