Eight members of the Newhall 13 Gang were taken into custody during a large-scale raid in Santa Clarita, executed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) on Thursday. The arrests came as part of a sweeping two-year investigation targeting gang-related criminal activity in the area. According to KTLA, the operation involved over 150 law enforcement personnel and was supported by various agencies, including the FBI's Los Angeles Division.
The operation was not without its yields—four firearms, body armor, and items related to gang affiliation were among the evidence confiscated, as reported by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It was also noted that among the arrested were two juveniles, reflective of a concerning trend outlined by Lt. Brandon Barclay who told KTLA, "Newhall 13 has been a generational gang for several years, and they’re responsible for a lot of our Part-I crimes, or crimes against person, including shootings and assault with a deadly weapon. It’s not uncommon for people that are adults to recruit people that are under 18 to try to do their work, the work in the street."
In addition to the aforementioned arrests and seizures, 13 search warrants were served across the Santa Clarita Valley. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff, the operation was meticulously orchestrated by the Juveniles And Gangs (JAG) team, with an unwavering commitment to community safety and criminal prevention being their driving force. The LASD reinforced that violent crimes would not be tolerated in Santa Clarita, a sentiment echoed in their statement, "Every arrest made and every weapon recovered is a step toward preserving the peace and quality of life our community deserves. Violent crimes will not be tolerated in Santa Clarita."
