Federal agents and local police swept into MacArthur Park on Wednesday, May 6, and took down a busy open-air drug market blamed for flooding the area with fentanyl and methamphetamine.
More than 300 officers took part in the operation dubbed “Operation Free MacArthur Park.” They served arrest and search warrants across the park and nearby neighborhoods.
By midday, authorities had arrested at least 18 people. Federal prosecutors charged 25 defendants in all.
Officials said the raids netted 19 kilos of fentanyl worth between $8 million and $10 million. Much of it came from a single house.
Two of those arrested are believed to be the main suppliers of fentanyl and meth to dealers in the park.
The alleged top trafficker tied to the park, a man who lived in Calabasas, is now in federal custody. Prosecutors say he could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted. Other suspects face decades behind bars.
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First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said agents took control of the park to hit the open drug market hard.
“Federal agents have taken control of MacArthur Park to execute federal arrest and search warrants targeting the notorious open-air drug market there,” Essayli said in a statement.
Authorities described the operation as the latest strike against the 18th Street gang, which controls the northern side of the park.
Investigators linked the drug supply to the Sinaloa cartel. The multi-month investigation used undercover buys to build cases against street dealers and their suppliers.
Fox News reporter Matt Finn, who was at the scene, described the scale of the problem. He saw a man collapse from a fentanyl overdose in the park and watched officers revive him with Narcan.
MacArthur Park’s lost glory as a historic park
Open drug dealing and public use have turned parts of the historic park into a visible health and safety crisis for months.
The operation reached beyond the park itself, with teams hitting locations in Calabasas, San Gabriel, South Los Angeles, and Westmont.
Essayli emphasized that this was a drug case, not an immigration enforcement action. A news conference with federal and local leaders, including Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, was held near the park Wednesday afternoon.
“Along with a recent federal and local takedown of the 18th Street gang, which claims the park’s northern area as its so-called ‘territory,’ today’s enforcement action shows that The Justice Dept and Drug Enforcement Administration – DEA are determined to fight drug traffickers poisoning our citizens,” added Essayli.
Criminal activities in MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park, once a family destination west of downtown Los Angeles, has struggled for years with gang activity, drug sales, and homelessness.
Residents and business owners near the park have complained that open dealing scares away families and customers.
Wednesday’s raids mark one of the greatest efforts yet to reclaim the area, with officials saying the goal is to make the park safe again for the people who live and work nearby.
The 25 charged defendants face narcotics distribution and possession counts. Court records show the cases center on large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine moved through the park’s busy walkways and surrounding streets.
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Investigators believe the seized fentanyl alone could have produced tens of thousands of deadly doses. Fentanyl overdoses continue to kill thousands across Los Angeles County each year.
Authorities said more arrests and seizures are possible as they complete the execution of the remaining warrants.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal partners plan to keep pressure on the networks that feed the park’s drug trade.
The heavy police presence in MacArthur Park on Wednesday cleared the usual open dealing spots.
It is not yet clear whether that calm will last and make the MacArthur Park conducive again for American families who enjoyed moments inside the park.
