Federal agents and Los Angeles police fanned out across the city Thursday morning, serving a wave of search and arrest warrants that ended with several people described as members or associates of the 18th Street gang in handcuffs. Authorities said they seized illegal narcotics, cash and other evidence during the coordinated takedown.
The operation pulled in a full alphabet of federal and local partners working at multiple locations across Los Angeles. Officials scheduled a press conference later in the day to lay out the numbers, charges and what they say the raids disrupted.
FBI Agents and partners with LAPD, HSI, IRS, DEA and U.S. Marshals served multiple search and arrest warrants this morning and took into custody several members and associates of the 18th Street Gang. Illegal narcotics, cash and other evidence was seized. Additional details https://t.co/RphtTdzZQ1
— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) March 5, 2026
According to FBI Los Angeles, agents and partners from the Los Angeles Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service served the warrants and took several alleged 18th Street members and associates into custody. The post said illegal narcotics, cash and “other evidence” were seized, with more details promised at the planned press conference.
What We Know About 18th Street
The 18th Street gang, founded in Los Angeles decades ago, has repeatedly landed in the crosshairs of federal and local investigators for narcotics trafficking, weapons offenses and violent crime, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times. Prosecutors and law enforcement task forces in Southern California have targeted alleged racketeering and drug networks tied to the group in multiagency sweeps that produced indictments and sizable seizures.
Past Operations And Possible Charges
Federal and local partners in the region have a long history of teaming up on similar crackdowns that end with federal indictments and tables full of confiscated drugs and guns. As outlined by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, previous operations against suspected 18th Street networks have resulted in arrests on narcotics and weapons charges and the seizure of kilograms of drugs and multiple firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California typically leads those prosecutions.
What’s Next
The FBI said it would release more information at the scheduled press conference, and officials had not immediately disclosed the exact number of people arrested or the specific charges at the time of the social media post. Hoodline will update this story after the briefing and as court filings or prosecutor statements become available.
