In a decisive move against gang-related criminal activities, 72-year-old Danny Troxell, a member of the notorious Aryan Brotherhood, has been sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a RICO conspiracy and a conspiracy to commit murder, as senior U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller determined. The sentencing, which took place in Fresno, comes on the back of a trial that illuminated the extent of criminal operations orchestrated by the gang from behind bars, including murder plots and widespread drug trafficking.
Between 2011 and 2019, Aryan Brotherhood members ran their criminal operations from prison using contraband cell phones, coordinating drug distribution, ordering hits, and managing other illegal activities, prosecutors said. Evidence included a wiretapped conversation in which Troxell stated that joining the gang required committing a murder and that leaving was only possible in death, contributing to his conviction.
As noted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, the case against Troxell and five other life-sentenced Aryan Brotherhood co-defendants marked a significant victory for a range of law enforcement agencies. This collaborative effort included entities such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the FBI, as part of the larger Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative aimed at dismantling criminal organizations that pose threats within and beyond U.S. borders.
The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), created by Executive Order 14159, works to combat cartels and criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and crimes like child trafficking. Using resources from multiple agencies, the task force also prosecutes and deports criminal aliens, highlighting the importance of interagency cooperation in addressing these threats.
