A total of 68 suspected gang members, with ties to white supremacy, were charged in the Los Angeles area Wednesday in a large-scale takedown, federal prosecutors said.
More than 40 of the suspected members and associates of the Peckerwoods Gang were arrested Wednesday in what was “one of largest takedowns in the history of the Department of Justice against a Neo-Nazi, White supremacist, violent extremist organization,” the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada said.
The arrests involved multiple federal and local law enforcement tactical officers, including resources brought in from the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, a source previously told CNN.
The Peckerwoods Gang is based in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and has ties to the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, Estrada said. They engage in a wide variety of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, fraud, violence and identity theft, the U.S. Attorney added.
Federal charges, including racketeering, were unsealed Wednesday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.