LOS ANGELES – A years-long international investigation has uncovered what federal authorities describe as a sprawling criminal network with significant Southern California ties, including alleged drug routes through the Los Angeles area and alleged extortion attempts targeting victims in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks.
The investigation, announced Tuesday and dubbed Operation Hard Ball, resulted in three federal indictments charging 37 defendants connected to three India-based organized crime syndicates. Twenty-four defendants have been arrested, including 11 in California, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal prosecutors allege the organizations trafficked bulk quantities of drugs across international borders, committed targeted killings, kidnappings and shootings, smuggled people, dealt firearms and extorted members of the Indian diaspora around the world…