Following a yearlong investigation, an anti-gang task force headed by the FBI arrested 11 suspected gang members during an early-morning operation in the Santa Maria area on May 3.
“With this morning’s arrests, we have collectively delivered a powerful message to the criminal street gangs and narcotics dealers in this region,” said André Birotte, Jr., U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. “We simply cannot and will not tolerate this kind of activity in our communities.”
Of the 11 arrestees, nine were taken into custody on federal drug trafficking charges, all of whom were indicted by a Los Angeles federal grand jury on gang-related charges of conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine in April. Each faces a mandatory federal sentence of at least five years with no possibility of parole. Half of those indicted federally could spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
According to Steve Martinez, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s L.A. Field Office, the multi-agency operation targeted drug dealers with connections to the Northwest street gang in Santa Maria, and the L.A.-based Six Deuce Brims Bloods gang in Lompoc.
“We believe we’ve identified and charged many of the most significant players in the pecking order of the two gangs,” Martinez said.
Four other people were taken into custody in connection with the investigation on state firearms and drug charges. As of press time, federal agents were still searching for one suspect.
The operation was conducted in cooperation with the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Maria Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
”When these organized criminals violate the law of our society, we don’t allow jurisdictional boundaries to hamper our efforts,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. “We are committed to continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that the streets are not endangered by this dangerous group of people and, indeed, that they are brought to justice.”
Santa Maria Police Chief Dan Macagni also praised the work of the agencies involved and vowed to continue working with similar task forces to combat the gang problem in the city.
“The results are obvious,” Macagni said. “The bad guys are going to go to jail; it’s going to be a safer place to live. We’re going to take control of the streets, and we’re not going to tolerate the criminal element keeping people in fear.”
This article appears in May 5-12, 2011.