Feds sweep into Los Angeles' MacArthur Park in operation against 'open-air drug market'
Authorities say 200 DEA personnel and 70 LAPD officers targeted cartel-linked dealers in an operation that seized 9 kilos of fentanyl.
- On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, federal and local law enforcement launched a massive raid at MacArthur Park, arresting at least 17 people. Agents seized 9 kilograms of fentanyl valued at $8 million to $10 million.
- Officials targeted the area to dismantle cartel-linked distribution networks plaguing the community. This operation builds on 2025 city efforts, when extra patrols reduced violent crime and open drug use around the park.
- Dubbed 'Operation Free MacArthur Park,' the raid mobilized 200 DEA personnel and 70 LAPD officers. Agents breached businesses with power tools, taking the park's alleged '#1 drug trafficker' into federal custody.
- First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli described the action as a liberation, stating, 'Anyone who's been down here lately knows this park has been taken over.' Authorities aim to dismantle the open-air drug market permanently.
- Ahead of the upcoming World Cup and Olympics, DEA officials aim to 'clean up the community' to ensure public safety and enhance the area's reputation. This strategic timing underscores the operation's broader significance for the region.
74 Articles
74 Articles
Associated Press News
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Raid at Open-Air Drug Market in L.A.'s MacArthur Park Results in 18 Arrests on Federal Charges and Seizure of Massive Stockpile of Fentanyl
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Feds Storm LA's Most Notorious Drug Market
Federal agents descended on MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on Wednesday, dismantling one of the city’s most entrenched open-air drug markets in a sweeping operation that netted at least 18 arrests and more than $10 million worth of fentanyl. The sting, dubbed “Operation Free MacArthur Park,” was a joint effort between the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement. A federal criminal complaint filed the same day charged 25 def…
POLITICS: We demanded action in MacArthur Park — feds, LAPD delivered
“MacArthur Park belongs to the people of Los Angeles again!” Those were the words Wednesday afternoon of U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis, after two separate raids on alleged drug dealers in the area, as part of “Operation Free MacArthur Park.” The California Post has reported on the crime, drugs, and decay in once-proud MacArthur Park for months. The California Post has reported on the crime, drugs,…
Feds seize mountain of fentanyl from 'open-air drug market' in massive crackdown targeting gang crews
MacArthur Park in Los Angeles was the target of a sweeping federal operation that led to at least 18 arrests and over $10 million in fentanyl seized, authorities say.
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