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Thursday, August 18, 2022

FBI & LAPD Gang Task Force Nets 28 Members of Playboys Street Gang on Narcotics Trafficking & RICO Charges in Los Angeles

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

28 members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Eastside Playboys street gang were arrested today on federal racketeering, narcotics, and firearms charges.

The arrests stem from six indictments, one of which alleges a racketeering scheme and includes allegations of narcotics and weapons trafficking and the extortion of local businesses. “This case is the culmination of years of work by our agents and prosecutors, alongside our local law enforcement partners, to remove violent gang members from our streets and dismantle the criminal organizations that fuel violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland of the Justice Department. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for violent gangs that sow fear and terror in our communities, and we will continue to use every tool we have to stop them and bring them to justice.”


“The indictments unsealed today charge a gang accused of plaguing South Los Angeles for 50 years through repeated acts of violence, drug trafficking, extortion of local businesses, and weapons violations,” said Acting United States Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen for the Central District of California. “Today’s coordinated law enforcement action targeted the Playboys street gang because of its alleged widespread criminal conduct, as well as the fear and intimidation its members imposed on our community.” Those arrested today are among 41 members and associates of the gang named across the six indictments. Three of the defendants were already in custody, and law enforcement continues to search for 10 defendants.

RICO Charges

One of the indictments alleges that the gang is a criminal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. This indictment outlines the structure of the gang, its allegiance to the Mexican Mafia prison gang also known as La eMe, and how it generates revenue through, among other things, the sale of narcotics and firearms.

The Playboys 13 was originally a car club called, "Southern Califas Latin Playboys Car Club." Cliques from the West Side moved to Burbank, California in the 1980s and have spread out to North Hollywood and other cities in the San Fernando Valley. Eastside Playboys started in 1975 on 49th street in Los Angeles, California and the Southside Playboys started in 1982 in Bell Gardens and South Gate, California. In the beginning, they were all Hispanic, but in recent years, even though it is rare, other ethnic groups have been able to gain membership making them multiethnic. However, the Playboys remain predominantly Hispanic in all their cliques from Latin America to the United States.

As part of the overall racketeering enterprise, some defendants engaged in large-scale drug trafficking, including sending kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl through the United States Postal Service, FedEx, and United Parcel Service. Some defendants also allegedly distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, and counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

“Members and associates of this gang have built a criminal enterprise by trafficking in guns and deadly drugs, by extorting business owners, and by terrorizing victims with violent assaults and robberies,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Amir Ehsaei of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our local partners to identify the gangs wreaking havoc on our communities and to use federal tools to hold major offenders accountable for their crimes.”

Seizures of Narcotics, Cash and Guns

During this investigation, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs seized from the Playboys and their associates approximately 47 firearms, 199 kilograms of methamphetamine, 13.6 kilograms of fentanyl, 27 kilograms of cocaine, 7.6 kilograms of heroin, 283 kilograms of marijuana, and $140,000 in cash. The RICO indictment further alleges that members of the racketeering enterprise operated two unlicensed marijuana dispensaries.

The lead defendant in the RICO indictment is Eliseo Luna, 47, of South Los Angeles, who acted as the overall “shot caller” for the gang, according to the indictment. Luna – who used a number of monikers, including “Chilo,” “Crazy,” “Toca” and “El Abogado” – allegedly oversaw the Playboys’ drug trafficking activities, gave orders to Playboys’ general leadership and membership, and authorized the assault and murder of members in bad standing with Playboys.

The 110-page RICO indictment alleges that four of the defendants participated in a March 2020 home invasion robbery of a marijuana dealer at a residence in Woodland Hills. In a subsequent conversation with Luna outlined in the indictment, one of the alleged robbers described the home invasion robbery, including the restraint of the victim, the theft of up to $50,000 in cash and approximately 10 pounds of marijuana, and a gunfight between the robbers and the victim, which resulted in one of the robbers being shot in the stomach by the robbery victim.

The RICO indictment outlines numerous conversations about criminal acts and specifically alleges that several gang members possessed approximately 3.3 kilograms of heroin at one point. One defendant also allegedly participated in the attempted murder of a Playboys member who was stabbed in the head and torso multiple times for betraying the gang.

A second indictment unsealed today names 17 defendants, all of whom are charged with participating in a narcotics-trafficking conspiracy. One of the defendants – Elvis Arreguin, 31, of San Pedro – allegedly maintained a laboratory in Long Beach where fentanyl and methamphetamine were processed.

“On July 7, 2021, defendant Arreguin and a co-conspirator drove together to a UPS store in Long Beach, California, where the co-conspirator dropped off a package containing approximately 10.007 kilograms of fentanyl that were packaged in one-kilogram bundles and covered in mustard,” the indictment alleges.

Another indictment charges four defendants with participating in a scheme to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. The lead defendant in this case, Francisco Soria, 29, of South Los Angeles, an alleged member of a Latino street gang in Watts with close ties to the Playboys, is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute approximately 12 ounces of fentanyl, 20 ounces of heroin, and more than an ounce of methamphetamine. Soria also allegedly possessed two firearms – one of which was a 9mm “ghost gun” – in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The other three indictments unsealed today charge individual defendants with drug trafficking offenses, including Rene Paul Romero, a.k.a. “Capone,” 45, of Whittier, who allegedly knowingly distributed approximately 436 grams (nearly one pound) of methamphetamine.


“I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our LAPD officers, the FBI, and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs on such a demanding investigation,” said Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore. “Organized street gangs prey upon our communities with violence, intimidation, and fear. Their tradecraft is furthered by the trafficking of dangerous firearms and narcotics. As in this case, and others, with strong federal partners and the support of our communities we are able to remove the distributors and root cause of such violence from our neighborhoods.”

The RICO conspiracy and Hobbs Act robbery charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The narcotics and firearms offenses carry a range of potential sentences, including a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in prison. The defendants arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Today’s arrests are the result of an investigation that was opened approximately four years ago by the FBI and the multi-agency Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs. The investigation, dubbed Operation Down the Rabbit Hole, utilized an array of tactics, including wiretaps and surveillance, to uncover evidence of extortion of businesses, violent robberies, burglaries, narcotics, and firearms trafficking, and violence against their own members as “discipline” for violating gang rules and norms.

Operation Down the Rabbit Hole was led by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which is comprised of the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; DEA; U.S. Marshals Service; the Joint Regional Intelligence Center; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; U.S. Bureau of Prisons; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Los Angeles County Probation Department provided considerable assistance.

Source DOJ, DOJ, FOX11, United Gangs


37 comments:

  1. Hey Sol what’s up “Playboy”Haha

    Hey Kali4noria Salinas what’s that picture in your BB profile avatar?

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    1. Damn. Hopefully this doesn't narrow down too much for you guys.

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  2. Someone else will quickly fill the void and violence will soon increase. ‘Years of work’ and for what? To get even? Because there’s no such thing as a win when it comes to law enforcements’ efforts against this stuff anymore.

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    1. And the US customers will promptly financing/arming new cartels, since demand there is HUGE enough to do so. If is not Mexico, will be any other country in the world. If the US dont understand that Solution is internal, the problem is endless (and VERY profitable for the US NRA).

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  3. Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. A multi-ethnic Sureño gang. Are the Southsiders going "woke?"

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    1. If you knew about the Playboys 13 they been had different race members for a long time same as 18st

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    2. 3:00 mexucans aint racist

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    3. Maybe the Mexucans aint but what about the Mexicans?

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    4. "Mr. Keep It Hood" is a black Sureño rapper. Check him out on Youtube.

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    5. 9:08 well mexicans arent raicists either, only white people can be racist, thats what ive heard from some black folks

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    6. 9:45 mexicans dont think they are more superior then anyone like alot of white people and black people think they are.
      they are racist, most mexicans are intolerant of black people though because of how they are and dont care about whites since they live in different sides of towns in most states since they choose to segregate themselves from everyone for the most part. Whites and blacks only like mexican girls, the good looking ones but. Mexicans need to quit kissing blackys and whiteys ass. I know alot of them are good from both sides.
      but you know theirs still that in inclusiveness between us and them (blacks/whites)

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    7. @9:45
      You are right!
      The best quote in a while you just said it.


      “Mexicans need to quit kissing blackys and whiteys ass.”

      There is raza and the younger generations that like to either act black or want to be gabacho. Shit is sad and pathetic!

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    8. 9:17 Black people thinking they are superior?, had no idea they were like that. Choosing to segregate?, not really, gentrification exists in most US cities. And being hispanic (even if you are a citizen/US born) and you choose a white neighborhood, get prepared for the bullying... There are various types of mexicans in the US. Probably depends on state and city, but gentrification is a common issue in most US cities. Not like in Mexico, which mostly depends on your needs and economic capacity.

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    9. Some Chicanos from California and Arizona forget their roots and don't care to learn Spanish and Chicanos living in ghettos act black and the ones in rural areas talk like rednecks that's why deportees sneack back across .

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    10. @1257 what you stated is true and the sad reality of some raza bitch shit!

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    11. @9:17 That was some really dumb shit. How are Mexicans kissing black people's butts? What the hell does that mean? Because they like to imitate Black style? So freaking what?
      I've worn a sombrero just because I can. Does that mean I'm kissing Mexican ass? I listen to Los Tigres del Norte, so I guess I'm really smooching raza butt. I've worn a Star of David. So I'm kissing Jew ass? Get the fuck out with that racist shit.
      Most Mexicans are mestizos. Fuck off with your "puro Mexican" shit.


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    12. At 12:57 It's just a difference in culture. Sometimes I don't like it either when Latinos don't know Spanish but at the same time it's understandable. Some are not 1st or 2nd generation immigrants and never spoke it at home. It's also not mandatory, you live in Goddamn US of America. I'm Chicano but the ones that pretend to be more Mexican regularly don't know the country's history, have never lived in Mexico, and can't hold a conversation in Spanish without stuttering or speaking Spanglish. Most people that act like this create this tacky version of what it means to be Mexican. Real Mexicanos find that distasteful. The way you would find Mexicanos acting like chicanos in the cheesiest way. Acting ghetto black is just acting ghetto in general. Both behaviors are American. It's more about environment than ethnicity. I do dislike it when the most ignorant horrible accent English speaking latinos use it to feel superior because for some reason you look more like a lesser immigrant than their more "Mexican trait" ugly naco looking selves

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    13. I'll keep it a thousand. I use to bang for 12th street en Pomona and we were racist af. I wish all my carnales and you out in internet land would open their eyes to this racist bullshit. Much love to by black, white, and yellow brothers out there. This racism is divisive and not representative of everyone from each group. We all like good food, laughs, and family no matter what color we are.

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    14. Big bad CherryVille stomping guppies

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  4. No escaping RICO law... asked the Italians.

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  5. ORRRRALE ESVPLAYBOYS13 GANG

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  6. Anyone who names their gang The Playboys deserves getting pinched.

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  7. Fuck peanut butters on 18 we do it better

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    1. 8:40 Both of those gangs are Southsiders. Go over to Northern California. Fight the real enemy and help your fellow Upstate Sureños who need your help.

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    2. DUMB!
      Raza fighting raza? Lames in the south and north need to quit acting black or siding with the gabachos who don’t even like us.

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    3. Shut your mouth you dont know what you talking about ese prison politics to apply on the streets

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    4. @1132 fools don’t own the streets just because they shove drugs and shanks in their assholes their just a bunch of drug addicts huevones who can’t function in society.

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  8. Pendejos sending shipments through postal services. Another reason the game is all fucked up right now. Easy grabs. That has an expiration

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    1. best way to send it u aint in the game thats for sure

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    2. No I'm not in it in any way. What I know is if you send that way you have no other means logistically. What idiot risks that much in the hands of the unknown. Even if you do, you'll be shipping small amounts numerous times. I doubt these Playboys were doing that as their main transportation. It's just laughable it's even an option. That's for "great thinkers" of the game that want to send one kilo or two in the mail. You either pay first or then mail your money back to them after and expect it to arrive? Some great businessman they must be. Likely small timers if someone uses this method as their primary way. You're going to burn eventually. It's just laughable it's even an option. Even sending marijuana is a bad choice. Those boxes get hit more than the other means. Wonderful new way of shipping. The best method right? Maybe so, if you're small. Lil boy model

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    3. What @9:58 said. I know plenty of ppl that push from SD to NY through USPS. And collect all their moneyssss. It’s a dice some are willing to throw. And well not everyone loses thru that play. U obv just dnt knoe what time it issss😅

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    4. That’s old news they were doing that decades ago

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    5. 3:20 am That's right. These folks think they're wise doing things that have always been done. Marijuana I can see as viable. If you're sending kilos of Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, or Meth. You're a moron. Keep sending from a source city, expect it to not be stolen, hope they don't suspect it. I bet you won't roll the dice with 30 keys in that bitch

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    6. What's a source city I miss the old days 😂

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  9. South rialto playboyz gang

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  10. Can I ask the Admins here why BB is still using "http" instead of "https"?

    ReplyDelete

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