Bonta, Central Valley law enforcement crack down on gangs

“The investigation exposed a large-scale criminal enterprise responsible for firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, shootings, robberies, sex offenses involving minors, organized violence within Fresno County jail facilities and multiple homicide investigations,” said Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni.

Approximately 42 of 44 individuals whom officers were investigating were taken into custody during the investigation, Zanoni said at a press conference in Fresno on Monday. He also said officers served 43 search warrants, seized 73 firearms and confiscated 55 pounds of methamphetamine, three pounds of cocaine, 10 grams of fentanyl and $165,000 in cash. Many of the guns recovered were “ghost guns,” which didn’t have serial numbers on them or were illegal high-capacity magazines, Zanoni said.

“As a result of the investigation, an additional eight Sureño gang members housed at the Fresno County Jail have been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and gang enhancements for their involvement in two separate violent stabbing attacks within the facility,” Zanoni said. “The investigation significantly disrupted organized Sureño criminal street gang activity throughout Central California, while exposing the continued influence of the Mexican Mafia over both street-level criminal operations and violence occurring within our custodial facilities.”

The investigation started in March. It spanned law enforcement agencies and suspected gang activity in Fresno, as well as the smaller, surrounding towns of Kingsburg, Selma and Reedley, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.

“We prevented shootings and other violent crimes before they occurred,” Bonta said at the press conference. “We helped avoid the tragedy, the loss of life, the destruction of public safety, as well as drug-related violence. By removing firearms, drugs and dangerous individuals from the streets, we made the Central Valley and our Central Valley neighborhoods safer.”

According to a 2008 report from the Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Information Network, the Sureño gang is a large criminal network that encompasses Hispanic gangs in Southern California. It is distinct from the Norteño gang, which is based entirely in Northern California.

The only gang to not be affiliated with either network is the Fresno-based Bulldog gang, which the Rocky Mountain Information Network report said is powerful and large enough to resist joining either gang network.

“The Central Valley is a hotbed when it comes to gang activity, whether it be trafficking of human beings [or] trafficking drugs. A lot of individuals use the 99, as well as the I-5 corridor, to pass through Fresno and even set up areas to operate here,” Nathan Magsig, a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, told The Center Square on Monday. “So I’m very pleased when we can see more operations where the sheriff’s department, local law enforcement, and state and federal agencies work together to really clamp down on gangs of many different types that do operate here in the Central Valley.”