LOS ANGELES, California — Sixteen individuals associated with the San Gabriel Valley-based Puente-13 street gang, linked to the Mexican Mafia, were arrested on federal charges, including kidnapping, shootings, and drug trafficking, according to a press release from the authorities. The arrests are part of a broader investigation into the gang’s criminal activities.
The defendants, charged with offenses such as methamphetamine distribution, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, include Victor Sanchez, 24, of San Bernardino; Isaiah Castro, 24, of Azusa; Isaac Estrada-Frost, 21, of Rosemead; Heather Covarrubias, 40, of Diamond Bar; Dominic Ornelas, 23, of Rancho Cucamonga; and Adrian Lopez, 25, of La Puente. Nine of the defendants are set to appear in United States District Court in Los Angeles this afternoon, with the remaining seven expected tomorrow.
Authorities are actively searching for three individuals who remain at large: Larry Castillo, 42, of Victorville; Soo Kang, 31, of Koreatown; and Bryan Gordian-Padilla, 24, of West Covina. Heather Johnson, 38, of Victorville, is currently in state custody…