L.A.’s Eastside Playboys gang target of massive sweep by FBI, LAPD

[essentialsaltes]

The FBI and Los Angeles police joined other law enforcement agencies in a predawn gang sweep Thursday, arresting 28 members of the Eastside Playboys gang as part of racketeering, narcotics and firearms cases that name about 40 of the gang’s leading members.

Heavily armed FBI agents and police officers fanned out across L.A. and into various surrounding communities, arresting those named in federal criminal court documents as being part of a scheme that sold narcotics, assaulted foes and sometimes led to murder.

Those charged and arrested Thursday are the latest generation of key players in the South Los Angeles-based Eastside Playboys street gang that for five decades has sold narcotics and guns on L.A.'s streets and is deeply tied to the Mexican Mafia prison gang.

The task force seized from the Playboys and their associates 47 firearms, 199 kilograms of methamphetamine, 13.6 kilograms of fentanyl, 27 kilograms of cocaine, 7.6 kilograms of heroin, 283 kilograms of marijuana, and $140,000 in cash.

 

[Petros2015]

"Most of the members only joined it for the articles," said one spokesperson.

 

[Nithavela]

Looks like they folded very easily once they were exposed.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

"East Side Playboys"...and I thought I was up on all of the latest gang culture. I'd honestly never heard of them.

Although, I will say the seizure is a little "less than impressive"

47 guns, some pot (in a state where pot's legal), and 140k in cash?...across 28 people?

Were these guys even big time players?

So that would mean that each person has 1 or 2 guns, some various recreational drugs, and about 5,000 bucks.

Not exactly Pablo Escobar

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Over 600 lbs of marijuana is some pot?

 

[Arcangl86]

"East Side Playboys"...and I thought I was up on all of the latest gang culture. I'd honestly never heard of them.

Although, I will say the seizure is a little "less than impressive"

47 guns, some pot (in a state where pot's legal), and 140k in cash?...across 28 people?

Were these guys even big time players?

So that would mean that each person has 1 or 2 guns, some various recreational drugs, and about 5,000 bucks.

Not exactly Pablo Escobar

You have to remember, weed is fairly light. 283 kilograms is a LOT. That's 624 lbs. Based on a article I found in the Sacramento Bee, weed sells at $207-257/oz. so we are talking over $2 million dollars worth of weed. Not to mention the 439 lbs of meth. From what I can found, that is somewhere 4 to 8 million dollars worth. Let's split the difference and call it 6. So we are talking over $8 million worth of drugs. That's a pretty big haul.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Over 600 lbs of marijuana is some pot?

Depends on how big the customer base is...

Although, I think it says something about the regulatory climate in California, where weed is legal, that there's still such a big black market for it.

How does a product, that's both legal and popular (and that people were anxious to have legalized) end up needing a 100 million dollar bailout in a state that has all of the potential to have a thriving legal market?

Lessons from California’s Pot Industry Bailout

 

[Belk]

Obviously a politically motivated hit from a highly corrupt organization designed to keep playboys out of office.

 

[HARK!]

deeply tied to the Mexican Mafia prison gang.

They come from a poor country. They just come here to find jobs that no one else will do.

 

[Always in His Presence]

How many were here illegally?

Mexican Prison gang - do we legally allow known violent felons in?