Eighteen people were arrested on May 6 in connection with a federal criminal complaint alleging drug trafficking offenses at MacArthur Park, according to the Justice Department. The arrests include two individuals law enforcement believes are main suppliers of fentanyl and methamphetamine to the area.
The case is significant due to ongoing concerns about crime and drug use in MacArthur Park, which has long been an area associated with gang activity and homelessness. Authorities said the operation aims to reclaim public spaces for residents and improve safety for the surrounding community.
According to the Justice Department, twenty-five defendants are charged with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances. Law enforcement seized approximately 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of fentanyl from one defendant’s residence in Calabasas. Seven defendants remain fugitives. Those arrested are expected to appear in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“Today, we begin reclaiming MacArthur Park from criminals and drug addicts to return this public space to the citizens of Los Angeles,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “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.”
Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, said: “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. 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.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell added: “We witnessed drug activity return to MacArthur Park, and our teams acted quickly to disrupt both the dealers and the suppliers behind them. Fentanyl remains one of the most dangerous threats to our community... We will remain relentless...in protecting the people of Los Angeles from dangerous drug activity.”
MacArthur Park sits west of downtown Los Angeles amid high rates of poverty; many homeless individuals there struggle with addiction. The park serves as a known location for narcotics sales—particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine—and lies within contested gang territory involving groups such as 18th Street Gang, Crazy Riders Gang south of Wilshire Boulevard, as well as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) immediately west.
The affidavit alleges that Mallaly Moreno-Lopez (31) and Jackson Tarfur (28), both from South Los Angeles's Westmont area "serve as...main sources" supplying drugs distributed near MacArthur Park on behalf of gangs like 18th Street Gang. Law enforcement also identified Yolanda Iriarte-Avila (40) as another supplier via her boyfriend Jesus Morales-Landel (33), who deals at street level around MacArthur Park.
If convicted on these charges—which stem from at least 27 alleged transactions between March 9 through April 15—some defendants face mandatory minimum sentences up to ten years or more; others could face up twenty years' imprisonment if found guilty by a court.
The investigation was led by DEA's Southern California Drug Task Force along with LAPD officers; prosecution will be handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren E. Border & Joshua J. Lee.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California supports community outreach programs focused on victim assistance alongside its work prosecuting federal crimes across seven counties serving over nineteen million residents according to its official website.
