San Pedro Gang Crackdown

Emmersyn Hadley • January 1, 2026

On Oct. 7, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a raid in San Pedro targeting the Rancho San Pedro Enterprise, a gang, alleged to have ties with the Mexican Mafia. The raid resulted in multiple arrests. The LAPD and FBI believe that this is one of the most active and violent gangs in California. After many years of investigating the group, the LAPD finally acted on their findings, arresting 13 individuals who are currently facing legal charges. So far, 17 more warrants for arrest have been published. However, the gang is still believed to have over 500 active members.

This recent raid is part of a much longer history of criminal activity in the area. This gang is not new to the San Pedro area. It is a multi-generational criminal enterprise with records of gang activity dating back to the 1970s. The gang is divided into six subsets. Each subset operates under its own leaders. In turn, those leaders answer to higher-ranking figures connected to the Mexican Mafia. They are “a U.S.-based prison gang and criminal organization” (FBI) that sometimes deals with Mexican cartels for drugs and has many leaders who are incarcerated in state prisons. The San Pedro gang, as the FBI calls them, pays taxes to the Mexican Mafia in exchange for protection from other gangs.

As police investigations give way to arrests and criminal charges, these alleged ties to the Mexican Mafia are coming under scrutiny. The arrested members have been charged with a form of racketeering under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) which allows prosecutors to charge individuals involved in a gang enterprise. Lauren Sopko, a lawyer at the Los Angeles-based firm Kirkland and Ellis, which handles both defense and prosecution in criminal cases, such as this one, described RICO and what it can mean for this gang.

“[RICO] is an anti-racketeering law, which makes it illegal to do Ponzi schemes and other financial/fraud crimes,” Sopko said. "Prosecution will have to prove their connection to the Mafia through clear evidence in order to charge [gang] members.”

While prosecutors use RICO to prepare their case, they will face challenges in proving the gang’s connection to the Mexican Mafia. Although the LAPD spent years investigating the gang's activities, much of that information focused on crimes within San Pedro, rather than direct communication chains to Mafia leadership. This means that there is little direct evidence that the gang is affiliated with the Mexican Mafia, despite assumptions and community suspicions that they are. Since any evidence in a criminal case must reach the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard rather than the lower "preponderance of evidence" threshold used in civil cases, it could be difficult for the prosecutors to ascertain that the gang is, in fact, affiliated with the Mexican Mafia. Another worry for the LAPD is how they will stop the gang altogether. With over 500 members still active in the gang, the few arrests have only momentarily left them without leadership; it is unknown at the moment whether these arrests will make San Pedro safer, or only cause another outburst of violence in retaliation (Fox 11 Los Angeles).

These uncertainties have left many residents worried, as the gang’s ongoing presence directly affects daily life. The gang is known to be involved in activities such as narcotics trafficking, distributing and trafficking psychoactive drugs like heroin and robberies to generate revenue for their criminal enterprise (Fox 11 Los Angeles). Some locals living in the gang’s territory were victims of violence and intimidation, forced not to alert authorities in fear of being beaten or even killed. The gang is known to have competed in drag races, races in which cars that are modified to drive as fast as possible compete in short distances, which could become reckless and dangerous when not performed in areas meant for such activities (ABC 7 Los Angeles). San Pedro resident and algebra teacher John Buda provided his knowledge of previous gang activity.

“I know there have been previous issues with gangs in San Pedro,” Buda said. “There have been drag races, fireworks, classic gang activities and drug use with fentanyl."

Beyond their violent presence, the gang has normalized a climate of fear for those who call San Pedro home. These issues with gang activities and their violent acts are not isolated incidents, but a pattern that has cycled on for many decades. With the gang having existed since the 1970s, many of its activities have become dangerous traditions that affect the community. Their pervasive presence has caused many to feel unsafe in San Pedro. Residents are afraid to walk around at night and are cautious to inform police of criminal activity in fear of antagonizing the gang (Daily Breeze). Student Joey Moakley shared his perspective on how the gang’s presence has shaped the atmosphere in the community.

“In general [I do feel] a little [unsafe],” Moakley said. “There has been one shooting by [another student’s] house. I do feel a lot more safe now, though, as the police crack down on [activity related to the Mexican Mafia].”

While the LAPD and FBI are making progress in deconstructing parts of the gang’s leadership, the entrenched nature of the gang will make it hard for them to stop the issue altogether. Still, many residents hope that law enforcement will help end the fear and destruction caused by the gang (Daily Breeze). As investigations continue, residents and officials alike are watching closely to see whether the recent raids signal a turning point for safety in San Pedro.