SANTA ANA, CALIF. — Federal, state and local authorities arrested more than two dozen members and associates of the Mexican Mafia early Thursday during a coordinated crackdown across Southern California. A total of 43 people, including those already in custody, have been indicted on charges that include murder, kidnapping, extortion, running an illegal gambling operation and drug trafficking.

The FBI and other federal and local agencies executed search and arrest warrants at about 30 locations mostly in Orange County, south of Los Angeles. Officers seized 120 pounds (54 kilos) of methamphetamine, more than eight pounds (four kilos) of fentanyl, 25 firearms and more than $30,000 in cash.

The indictment alleges that one incarcerated leader used contraband cellphones to oversee the organization's criminal activities from his state prison cell from June 2024 to April 2026. He directed street gang members to kidnap and assault people, according to court documents.

"The stuff that we're taking off the streets is very, very dangerous. These guys have no regard for human life. They're about making money," said Bill Essayli, First Assistant United States Attorney.

The gang sold drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. "The gang collected extortionate taxes and provided security, including the use of violence, to protect the illegal gambling businesses," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The Mexican Mafia was started in the 1950s at a juvenile jail and grew to an international criminal organization that controls smuggling, drug sales and extortion from inside California's penal system. The arrests Thursday were concentrated in Santa Ana and other parts of Southern California, with warrants executed at approximately 30 locations.