{"id":1220,"date":"2026-05-07T10:44:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1220"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:44:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:44:17","slug":"feds-la-police-target-macarthur-park-drug-dealers-in-major-bust-arresting-18-suspects-and-seizing-fentanyl-other-narcotics-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1220","title":{"rendered":"Feds, LA police target MacArthur Park drug dealers in major bust, arresting 18 suspects and seizing fentanyl, other narcotics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Federal agents and police targeted drug dealers in MacArthur Park on Wednesday, May 6, arresting at least 18 people and seizing large amounts of fentanyl and other narcotics in an ongoing crackdown on crime in area, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.<\/p>\n

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Video showed several law enforcement vehicles and an unknown number of officers taking part in \u201cOperation Free MacArthur Park,\u201d which closed several streets adjacent to the park near Wilshire Boulevard and Sixth Street.<\/p>\n

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the operation was designed to \u201cliberate the park from an open-air drug market that\u2019s proliferated here for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Essayli said a total of 25 arrest warrants were being served during the operation, along with nine search warrants \u2014 six of which targeted businesses across from the park. He said operators of the large-scale drug operations were \u201cstoring and stashing\u201d drugs at storefronts near the park.<\/p>\n

He said 18 defendants were arrested Wednesday, including a man and woman in South Los Angeles who are believed to be the main suppliers of fentanyl and methamphetamine in MacArthur Park. Seven defendants are considered fugitives.<\/p>\n

As the region ramps up for the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics, there will be more federal drug operations, said Anthony Chrysanthis, special agent in charge at the Los Angeles DEA office.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing it, and this is not a one-and-done, and this is not the only place you\u2019re going to see us,\u201d he said. \u201cYou may not see us tomorrow or you may not see us Friday, but you might see us Saturday. You never know when we\u2019re coming cause we\u2019re always going to be watching.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Federal officials will continue monitoring MacArthur Park for drug activity and could conduct further operations, Chrysanthis said. Agents Wednesday were continuing to search the park area for evidence and continue their investigation.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Chrysanthis wouldn\u2019t clarify how long agents will watch MacArthur Park or what neighborhoods or cities federal officials may target in future operations.<\/p>\n

A criminal complaint charges 25 people with possession with the intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office announced, in connection with the MacArthur Park area.<\/p>\n

In the complaint, Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, 31, and her boyfriend, Jackson Tarfur, 28, both of the Westmont area of South Los Angeles, are accused of \u201cserv[ing] 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.\u201d Moreno-Lopez and Tarfur were arrested Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.<\/p>\n

The couple is accused of \u201chand-deliver[ing] narcotics to the Alvarado Corridor near MacArthur Park for stashing in storefronts and subsequent distribution to street-level drug dealers\u201d and using their Westmont home to store drugs before bringing them to the park, the U.S. DOJ said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Yolanda Iriarte-Avila, 40, of Calabasas, is accused of being a source of the supply of methamphetamine for Moreno-Lopez, through her boyfriend, Jesus Morales-Landel, 33, of the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles, authorities said. Morales-Landel is accused of being a\u00a0 street-level drug dealer in the MacArthur Park area. Iriarte-Avila allegedly \u201cuses her residence as a stash location for subsequent drug distribution,\u201d according to the U.S. Department of Justice.<\/p>\n

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City News Service contibuted to this report<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Federal officials will continue monitoring the area and could conduct further operations, officials said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-verified-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFeds, LA police target MacArthur Park drug dealers in major bust, arresting 18 suspects and seizing fentanyl, other narcotics - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1220\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Feds, LA police target MacArthur Park drug dealers in major bust, arresting 18 suspects and seizing fentanyl, other narcotics - 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