Federal authorities charge 68 members of LA white supremacist gang

Oct 3

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

Federal authorities charged 68 members of the San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods with a variety of crimes including drug trafficking and financial fraud. The group is a California-based white supremacist gang.

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“The Peckerwoods are involved in a wide variety of criminal activity,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “Everything from drug trafficking to fraud offenses, to firearm offenses, violence, and identity theft. But what truly distinguishes them, what defines them is their hate and their nemesis toward racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.”

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A 76-count indictment unsealed Wednesday, Oct. 2, alleged a years-long criminal enterprise involving drug trafficking, weapons violations and sophisticated financial fraud schemes, including COVID-19 benefits and loan fraud.

Some of the charges include conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, distribution of controlled substances, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, among other charges.

During the investigation, law enforcement said they seized large quantities of illegal firearms and dozens of pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin.

The gang also formed alliances with notorious prison gangs, including the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia.

Members allegedly display their extremist beliefs through Nazi tattoos and graffiti, including swastikas and the “88” symbol representing allegiance to Adolf Hitler.

Several law enforcement agencies collaborated for the operation, with the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Police Department and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office spearheading the effort.

Attorney General Merrick Garland described the operation as a “decisive blow” to the Peckerwoods, emphasizing the gang’s involvement in trafficking deadly fentanyl and committing violent robberies.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California will prosecute the case.

Tags: California, Drug cartels, Drug Enforcement Administration, Drug smuggling, FBI, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE CHARGED 68 MEMBERS OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY PECKERWOODS, A CALIFORNIA-BASED WHITE SUPREMACIST GANG.

“THE PECKERWOODS ARE INVOLVED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY,” SAID U.S. ATTORNEY MARTIN ESTRADA. “EVERYTHING FROM DRUG TRAFFICKING TO FRAUD OFFENSES, TO FIREARM OFFENSES, VIOLENCE, AND IDENTITY THEFT. BUT WHAT TRULY DISTINGUISHES THEM, WHAT DEFINES THEM IS THEIR HATE AND THEIR NEMESIS TOWARD RACIAL, ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES.”

A 76-COUNT INDICTMENT UNSEALED WEDNESDAY ALLEGES A YEARS-LONG CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE INVOLVING DRUG TRAFFICKING, WEAPONS VIOLATIONS, AND SOPHISTICATED FINANCIAL FRAUD SCHEMES, INCLUDING COVID-19 BENEFITS AND LOAN FRAUD.

SOME OF THE CHARGES INCLUDE CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE THE RICO ACT, DISTRIBUTION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, BANK FRAUD, AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION BY A FELON – AMONG OTHER CHARGES.

DURING THE INVESTIGATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYS THEY SEIZED LARGE QUANTITIES OF ILLEGAL FIREARMS, AND DOZENS OF POUNDS OF FENTANYL, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND HEROIN.

THE GANG ALSO FORMED ALLIANCES WITH NOTORIOUS PRISON GANGS, INCLUDING THE ARYAN BROTHERHOOD AND MEXICAN MAFIA.

MEMBERS ALLEGEDLY DISPLAY THEIR EXTREMIST BELIEFS THROUGH NAZI TATTOOS, GRAFFITI, INCLUDING SWASTIKAS AND THE ’88’ SYMBOL REPRESENTING ALLEGIANCE TO ADOLF HITLER.

SEVERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES COLLABORATED FOR THE OPERATION – WITH THE FBI-LED JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE, DEA, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND VENTURA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPEARHEADING THE EFFORT.

ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND DESCRIBED THE OPERATION AS A ‘DECISIVE BLOW’ TO THE PECKERWOODS, EMPHASIZING THE GANG’S INVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFICKING DEADLY FENTANYL AND COMMITTING VIOLENT ROBBERIES.

THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA WILL PROSECUTE THE CASE.