The Brief
- Federal agents arrested 17 members of a San Gabriel Valley gang linked to the Mexican Mafia on charges including kidnapping, shootings, and drug trafficking.
- Authorities recovered 71 firearms, including machine guns and rifles, along with 10 pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl and carfentanil pills.
- Nine of the 20 total defendants named in the indictment face potential life sentences in federal prison if convicted; two suspects are on the run.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. – Federal authorities arrested 17 members and associates of the La Puente-based Puente-13 gang on Wednesday following a major investigation into kidnapping, shootings, and large-scale drug trafficking.
Puente-13 gang arrests
What we know:
Federal officials have charged a total of 20 defendants in an indictment outlining a wide range of criminal activity in the San Gabriel Valley.
The charges include the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and the illegal sale of firearms, including machine guns. …