LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Reputed members of a Los Angeles-area street gang busted Wednesday in a racketeering investigation have ties to the Mexican Mafia, federal authorities said.
The 27 suspects picked up in a federal-state operation allegedly are members or associates of the Lennox 13 gang, which investigators say controlled drug dealing in their neighborhood and paid the Mexican Mafia to protect them in prison.
A federal grand jury indicted the defendants on a variety of charges including extortion, drug trafficking and violations of the Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations Act.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles said in a statement that Lennox 13 has operated in an unincorporated area east of Los Angeles International Airport for about 20 years. Members allegedly dealt methamphetamine and other drugs and also shook down street dealers peddling narcotics on their turf. The gang in turn paid off the Mexican Mafia to keep their incarcerated members safe while serving their sentences.
