U.S. authorities and Santa Ana police on Tuesday arrested more than 100 alleged gang members who face state and federal charges for selling drugs and guns, as well as committing violence in Orange County.

Santa Ana police joined agents of the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and even the Internal Revenue Service in the early morning raids that saw dozens of suspects led away in handcuffs. As of midmorning, several of those wanted on federal charges remained at large.

Authorities hit some 75 locations in and around Santa Ana tied to members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, officials said. The massive roundup was the result of several federal indictments and related local charges targeting gang members responsible for a significant amount of gang violence in Santa Ana, authorities said.

“Operation Smokin’ Aces” involved hundreds of federal agents, police officers and investigators.


The indictments include a racketeering case that targets the leaders of the gang for operating a criminal enterprise selling drugs and using violence to further their business.

Federal and local officials were slated to address the public later in the day.

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