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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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Federal and local law enforcement swept into a major Los Angeles neighborhood known for drug dealing on Wednesday, with over 25 suspected dealers arrested as Dr. Oz looked on.
The operation in MacArthur Park saw agents "take control" of the park, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, after law enforcement spent several years trying to tackle the drug networks in the area.
The U.S. Department of Justice said on X that it planned to continue the operation, warning that those who deal drugs in the U.S. will face the full force of the law. The Los Angeles Police Department insisted the operation was not immigration related.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, was present in the city for the raid.
“There’s nothing more important to me right now than restoring sanctity to the system, program integrity, which means trusting that our tax dollars are being used appropriately to help our fellow man,” Dr. Oz told Newsmax. “California should be proud of Los Angeles, they shouldn’t have to hide what’s happening in MacArthur Park.”
MacArthur Park Raid: What To Know
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Over 200 federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with officers from the LAPD, targeted MacArthur Park, as well as South LA, Calabasas, and San Gabriel Wednesday.
According to Essayli, the park’s number one drug trafficker, a Calabassas resident, was taken into federal custody, along with other detainees.
The New York Post, which followed the raid, said the suspect was Mallaly Moreno-Lopez and her boyfriend. The pair allegedly tried to flush their stash down the toilet when agents arrived, with the DOJ sharing footage of the alleged attempt.
Several of those arrested were suspected of involvement in the supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine, the DOJ said.
The sting, dubbed “Operation Free MacArthur Park” followed a recent federal and local takedown of the 18th Street gang, which Essayli said claims the park as its territory. Wednesday’s raid was a continuation of a months-long effort to seek to shut down the fentanyl trade in the area.
"We are going after street dealers and suppliers of massive amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine," Essayli said on X. "Over the last 24 hours, federal and local law enforcement have started arresting 25 defendants charged in a federal criminal complaint with possessing and distributing dangerous narcotics, including fentanyl and methamphetamine."
What Happens Next
The DOJ said its efforts in the area would continue. Further details on the suspects arrested were yet to be released Wednesday evening.
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