Federal authorities have arrested 18 people in Los Angeles as part of a crackdown on drug dealing in MacArthur Park, the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday. The operation targeted an 'open-air drug market' in the park near downtown, which has long struggled with fentanyl use, overdoses and homelessness.
A total of 25 people have been charged in federal court with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, according to the US attorney's office in Los Angeles. Seven defendants remain at large and are considered fugitives.
Since March, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been working with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on an investigation into drug trafficking around MacArthur Park. Undercover officers and confidential informants made drug purchases, and authorities conducted surveillance, according to a federal complaint.
The complaint alleges that a couple served as 'one of the main sources of supply of fentanyl powder and methamphetamine' in the area, working on behalf of the 18th Street gang. They allegedly hand-delivered narcotics to the Alvarado corridor for distribution to street-level dealers. Two other gangs, Crazy Riders and MS-13, were also involved in sourcing drugs in the vicinity.
Prosecutors documented 27 separate drug deals of fentanyl and methamphetamine between 9 March and 15 April. Law enforcement seized approximately 18kg (40lb) of fentanyl from one defendant's residence. Those arrested are expected to appear in court on Thursday.
This is not the first federal action at MacArthur Park. In June 2025, immigration agents and National Guard troops conducted a show of force there, which Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described as a 'political stunt' that made the city look 'under siege'.
