OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:17 PM – Friday, July 25, 2025
In a joint law enforcement operation on Thursday, the FBI San Diego field office, in collaboration with multiple local partner agencies, arrested five more individuals suspected of having ties to the Mexican Mafia prison gang.
According to the FBI San Diego Field Office, “so far, 16 subjects associated with the Mexican Mafia have been indicted and or arrested on federal charges, including alleged drug trafficking and importation, weapons offenses, money laundering, and operating an illegal gambling business.”
Their names and mugshots have not been released to the press as of July 25, 2025.
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The arrests were accompanied by the seizure of firearms, narcotics, money, and other evidence — as part of an ongoing federal investigation into the gang’s extensive criminal activities throughout Southern California.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Diego Field Office–Imperial County Resident Agency, FBI Los Angeles, FBI SWAT, ATF Los Angeles–El Centro Office, the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) Border Crime Suppression Team, the United States Marshals Service, and other law enforcement partners executed court-authorized operations across multiple locations in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange counties,” according to the recent press release.
The Mexican Mafia, also known as “La eMe,” and the Mexican drug cartels are not the same thing, though they do interact. La eMe is a predominantly Mexican‑American prison gang with deep influence over Hispanic street gangs throughout So Cal — controlling the Sureños — a collective of loosely affiliated street gangs.
The defendants have also been federally indicted for their alleged involvement in operating illegal gambling establishments, money laundering, and/or methamphetamine importation.
In a statement, Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis underscored the crucial role of dismantling violent criminal networks through the removal of key individuals and the seizure of their illicitly acquired assets.
“Removing violent criminals from our streets and seizing their resources is a top priority for the FBI and paramount to our mission of protecting the American people,” said Special Agent Dargis. “Today’s successful operation is another example of what we can accomplish by working closely with our law enforcement partners on the shared goal of safer communities.”
FBI San Diego says that it remains committed to working alongside its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify, disrupt, and prosecute members of violent criminal organizations.
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