Eighteen people have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging them with drug trafficking offenses related to activity at MacArthur Park, according to a May 6 announcement from the Justice Department. The arrests include two individuals alleged by law enforcement to be primary sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine for the area.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about public safety and drug-related crime in MacArthur Park, an area known for high rates of poverty, homelessness, and gang activity. Law enforcement seized approximately 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of fentanyl at one defendant’s residence in Calabasas. Of the 25 defendants charged with possession with intent to distribute or distribution of controlled substances, seven remain fugitives.
“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 said: “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.”
According to court documents cited by authorities, Mallaly Moreno-Lopez and Jackson Tarfur are accused as main suppliers distributing narcotics—primarily fentanyl powder and methamphetamine—in collaboration with gangs such as 18th Street Gang near MacArthur Park. Additional defendants were identified as sources or distributors using their residences as stash locations prior to street-level sales.
The complaint affidavit details 27 separate deals involving fentanyl or methamphetamine between March 9 and April 15 around MacArthur Park. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted on all charges described by prosecutors—including mandatory minimum sentences—some face up to life imprisonment while others could receive up to twenty years.
This investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including DEA’s Southern California Drug Task Force within HIDTA Program alongside LAPD officers. According to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, this office serves more than nineteen million residents across seven counties; it works closely with law enforcement partners on both criminal prosecutions as well as civil matters for government entities.
