Following a multi-year investigation into shootings, kidnappings, illegal gun trafficking, and large-scale drug distribution across the San Gabriel Valley, federal investigators detained 16 alleged gang members and associates connected to a deadly Mexican Mafia-linked street gang.
The arrests are aimed at members of Puente-13, a street gang that prosecutors say operates under the jurisdiction of the Mexican Mafia prison group, imposing control through violence and drug sales. According to federal investigators, the arrest follows a three-year investigation that revealed a pattern of retaliatory attacks, intimidation, and drug trafficking involving some of the most hazardous narcotics on the market today.
Federal investigation exposes violent gang operation
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The inquiry began following a fatal shooting in Covina in 2022, in which authorities believe a Puente-13 member opened fire on rival gang members at a residence. During his escape, the suspect reportedly slipped and lost a shoe, which investigators later used as physical evidence to identify and connect him to the crime.
According to federal investigators, that incident sparked a far larger investigation, finding a network of gang activities involving kidnapping, attempted murder, illegal firearm sales, and drug trafficking, including fentanyl and carfentanil.
Authorities claim the gang served as a profit-making arm of the Mexican Mafia, overseeing drug distribution inside its jurisdiction and punishing anyone suspected of cooperating with police authorities.
Kidnapping, shootings, and intimidation detailed in charges
Court records detail multiple violent incidents involving the defendants. In July 2023, several gang members allegedly kidnapped two people they suspected of stealing stuff during a burglary. One of the victims apparently escaped after suffering a serious beating.
In another incident in May 2025, prosecutors allege a gang member opened fire on a man’s vehicle outside a La Puente liquor store after misidentifying him as a rival gang member. According to investigators, the suspect again accosted the same person at a nearby car wash, chanting the gang’s name before carrying out the attack.
According to federal affidavits, these episodes are part of a larger pattern of violence meant to assert territorial control and create fear in the community.
Massive weapons and drug seizure
Throughout the inquiry, federal officials confiscated a substantial cache of illegal items, which included:
- Approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine
- Thousands of pills containing fentanyl and carfentanil
- 76 firearms, including rifles, short-barreled weapons, and a machine-gun conversion device
- Body armor and large quantities of ammunition
- Nearly $10,000 in cash
Officials stressed the risk posed by carfentanil, a synthetic opioid thought to be 100 times stronger than fentanyl and capable of inflicting deadly overdoses in trace amounts.
Officials highlight public safety impact
Federal authorities praised the charges as a significant blow to Southern California organized crime.
“The arrest of these gang members demonstrates that federal law enforcement is focused on removing the most dangerous criminals from our streets,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, noting the goal of restoring safety to affected neighborhoods.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) revealed that the case expanded from a single shooting to a large-scale federal investigation as a result of strong collaboration with local law enforcement.
“What began as one incident ultimately became a much larger, standalone investigation,” an ATF spokesperson said, citing the scale of the evidence detailed in the federal complaint.
Officials emphasized the larger impact of removing huge amounts of narcotics from circulation, pointing out that street-level drug trafficking feeds addiction, violence, and long-term harm to families and communities.
Charges, sentences, and ongoing investigation
The US Attorney’s Office reports that they have charged 20 individuals, two of whom remain at large. Prosecutors have proven that all the arrested defendants are citizens of the United States.
According to prosecutors, nine defendants face life terms if convicted of the most serious charges, which include racketeering, drug trafficking, firearms violations, and violent crimes.
The US Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, with help from the ATF, the California Highway Patrol, local police departments, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Officials declined to say whether more arrests or raids were planned.