Federal agents raided an infamous open-air drug market in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday and seized a massive amount of fentanyl at the residence of one of the arrested individuals.
“Today, we begin reclaiming MacArthur Park from criminals and drug addicts to return this public space to the citizens of Los Angeles,” First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement.
“Together with our federal and local law enforcement partners, we are executing multiple arrest and search warrants targeting those who are distributing drugs in and around the park.
Formally known as “Operation Free MacArthur Park,” the project led to the arrests of 18 people and more than $10 million worth of fentanyl as part of a joint operation between federal and local authorities.
MacArthur Park is west of downtown Los Angeles and has become a well-known area for drug usage and drug trafficking.
A federal criminal complaint alleged that 25 people engaged in narcotic distribution and possession, with 18 already in custody.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) explained:
The complaint’s affidavit alleges that Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, 31, and her boyfriend, Jackson Tarfur, 28, both of the Westmont area of South Los Angeles, “serve as the, if not one of the main sources of supply of fentanyl powder and methamphetamine distributed in the Alvarado Corridor and MacArthur Park, generally on behalf of the 18th Street Gang.”
Moreno-Lopez and Tarfur hand-delivered narcotics to the Alvarado Corridor near MacArthur Park for stashing in storefronts and subsequent distribution to street-level drug dealers. Moreno-Lopez and Tarfur use their Westmont residence as a stash location for illegal drugs prior to delivering them to MacArthur Park.
Law enforcement also identified Yolanda Iriarte-Avila, 40, of Calabasas, as a source of supply of methamphetamine for Moreno-Lopez, via Iriarte-Avila’s boyfriend, Jesus Morales-Landel, 33, of the Exposition Park area of South Los Angeles, who is a street-level drug dealer in the MacArthur Park area. Iriarte-Avila uses her residence as a stash location for subsequent drug distribution.
Law enforcement found about 40 pounds of fentanyl at the Calabasas residence of one of those arrested.
“Today’s operation is only one step, taken by a handful of agencies working hard to alleviate the anguish and sense of hopelessness burdening MacArthur Park, local businesses, and the surrounding neighborhood,” Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, said. “While this is a drug enforcement operation, it is also an effort to restore safety and wellness, and to return MacArthur Park back to the community.”
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