More than 80 charged in crackdown on Mexican Mafia's prison drugs racket - World News Update

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Friday, May 25, 2018

More than 80 charged in crackdown on Mexican Mafia's prison drugs racket


Prosecutors say the gang of gangs operated like an illegal government, collecting taxes on drugs smuggled into prisons.

Greater than 80 participants in the Mexican Mafia happen to be charged with participating inside a conspiracy to operate drugs and carry out violent assaults ordered from prison.

Prosecutors said the organisation - made up of Latino gang leaders - operated like an illegal government, collecting taxes on drugs smuggled into Los Angeles prisons and ordering hits on those not following their rules.

On Wednesday, 83 members and associates were charged over allegations of drug dealing, extortion, violent assaults and murders.

Lawyer Nick Hanna told reporters : We just delivered a blow to some cold-blooded prison gang and the associates.

Authorities said the so-called gang of gangs was in a position to control smuggling, drug sales and extortion inside and California's prisons.

The charges detailed how the organisation started in the 1950s with a juvenile prison before growing for an international level.

An indictment read : These Mexican Mafia members and associates, working together to control criminal activity within (LA County jails ), became their very own entity or enterprise and effectively function being an illegal government.

Prosecutors said other groups that brought in drugs had to provide a third of what That They‘d - called a thirds tax - to leaders from the Mexican Mafia.

The organisation's tax within prison walls gave the name Operation Dirty Thirds towards the investigation behind the newest charges.

From the 83 people charged, 35 were already in custody and 16 were fugitives.

The indictment said the gang enriched itself through drug sales, taxes, as well as collected a share of purchases coming from the prison commissary - where inmates can buy snacks along with other food items.

It added that members could exert control through violence if inmates refused to pay out up or follow the rules.

Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge from the FBI's field office in Los Angeles said : Essentially, the Mexican Mafia is really a gang of gangs.

Based on the indictment, Jose Landa-Rodriguez, 55, and two others, that are now dead, are accused of controlling operations in jail between 2012 and 2016.

Prosecutors claimed Landa-Rodriguez sanctioned murders, assaults and also the kidnapping and planned the murder of the relative of the gang member who defied him.

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