LOS ANGELES—An investigation by the San
Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force today resulted in the arrest of eight
defendants who face federal narcotics trafficking charges. The investigation,
which initially focused on drug sales by members and associates of the Pasadena
Denver Lane Bloods street gang, also led to the arrest of seven defendants on
state charges.
The 15 arrests this morning culminate an
18-month investigation during which dozens of other defendants were arrested on
various narcotics and weapons offenses. During the investigation, authorities
seized eight firearms, approximately $40,000 in cash, five kilograms of
cocaine, and approximately 2.5 kilograms of crack cocaine.
The federal part of the investigation
led to two indictments and one criminal complaint that name a total of nine
defendants, one of whom is a fugitive. Most of the defendants face potential
life sentences if they are convicted.
The investigation that led to today’s
arrests was conducted under the aegis of the San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets
Task Force, which is made up of agents and officers with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Pasadena Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department (Altadena gang detectives and the Community Oriented Policing Services
Bureau), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the
Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Gang members and drug traffickers are
united by the common denominator of greed,” said United States Attorney André
Birotte Jr. “Today’s arrests demonstrate again that the Justice Department is
committed to working together with its state and local law enforcement partners
to protect our communities from the menace of the illegal narcotics trade.”
Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in
Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, stated, “Today’s arrests are the
result of a long-term investigation by the joint task force that targeted gang
members and associates alleged to be the driving force behind a drug
distribution ring operating in the Pasadena area that’s had a toxic effect on
the community. There is no doubt that street gangs corrupt youth and that their
drug networks fuel a variety of violent crimes in the communities in which they
operate, as a result of monetary disputes, gang rivalries, and incidents
associated with addiction.”
One grand jury indictment unsealed this
morning charges seven defendants. They are:
• Jesse Vargas, 34, of El Monte;
• Jesus Campos, 43, of La Puente;
• Monte Russell, also known as
“Godfather,” 35, of Pomona and Pasadena;
• Cuong Nguyen, also known as “David
Thai,” 32, of Mid-City Los Angeles, who authorities are continuing to search
for;
• Dayna Guyton, 29, of Pasadena;
• Myoshi Smith, 23, of Bellflower; and
• Lyonel Washington, also known as “Dough,”
33, of Altadena.
Among the specific charges in the
indictment are allegations that Vargas on just one day possessed approximately
three pounds of cocaine.
The other two defendants charged in
federal court are:
• Keno Monteze Norris, 33, of Pasadena,
who is charged in an indictment with distributing crack cocaine; and
• John Eugene Brown, 48, of Pasadena,
who is charged in a criminal complaint with possession with the intent to
distribute crack cocaine.
The eight defendants arrested today on
federal charges are expected to make their initial court appearances this
afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Indictments and criminal complaints only
contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is
presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Burbank Police Department and the
Monterey Park Police Department provided support during today’s operation.
The investigation that resulted in
today’s arrests started only weeks after two grand jury indictments targeting
the Denver Lane Bloods and the gang’s drug trafficking in the Antelope Valley
were unsealed (see: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/pr2010/118.html).
Posts
