Federal and local enforcement swept through MacArthur Park on Wednesday in a raid targeting what authorities called an open-air drug market, with the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles saying it would announce the results later in the day. Dozens of armed federal agents and LAPD officers raided several storefronts near the Alvarado corridor as the operation unfolded.
LAPD officers cordoned off the northeast corner of the park with yellow crime scene tape, and around 2:08 p.m. a caravan of additional police and federal vehicles rolled up to 6th and Alvarado. Scores of officers spilled out, while several other armored tactical vehicles followed a large command post-style vehicle.
Officers began fanning through the park and pushing back people they encountered. The sweep drew the attention of several dozen onlookers standing in line for a food giveaway by the Dream Center Foundation, while authorities used loudspeakers to say it was a DEA operation. One announcement said, “We have a federal narcotics warrant in the area,” and another voice ordered, “You on the rooftop, go back to your residence,” as officers moved through the park.
The operation came after federal authorities arrested a dozen members and associates of the 18th Street gang in March on indictments alleging murder, extortion and drug trafficking. Authorities said then that the gang controlled the park as an open-air drug marketplace, using tents to blend in with the homeless population and avoid detection by law enforcement. Anthony Chrysanthis said, “Gang criminals and drug peddlers have been exploiting the MacArthur Park community for far too long,” and added, “We want to return MacArthur Park back to the community.”
This sweep was the latest in a series of crackdowns on MacArthur Park, and the day’s operation made clear that federal agents and LAPD officers are treating the park as an active target, not a symbolic one. The press conference promised for Wednesday afternoon is likely to show how far the government intends to push the crackdown next.