- Raids & Arrests
- Nov 5, 2026
California DRUG EMPIRE Taken Down As FBI RAIDS Skid Row & 23 Dealers Face 20 Years Prison Time
California DRUG EMPIRE Taken Down As FBI RAIDS Skid Row & 23 Dealers Face 20 Years Prison Time
More than 300 officers from the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Marshals and LAPD moved into Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles before sunrise in Operation Save Skid Row. Federal prosecutors say the dealers they targeted disguised themselves as homeless people and city workers, sold drugs from inside tents, and showed up on the days public assistance payments arrive. At night, officials say, many of them drove home in luxury cars.
In this report
- 28 arrest warrants and 44 search warrants in one morning
- How prosecutors say the dealers hid in plain sight
- The 1st and the 15th: why payment days mattered
- The gangs officials named and the corner at 5th and Crocker
- Bentleys, Mercedes and high-rise apartments
- Who was targeted, and who was not
- What people who live and work on Skid Row expect next
Presumption of innocence
23 people are in custody and 5 remain wanted. Everyone arrested has only been charged and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Potential sentences depend on the charges each person faces.
Sources
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California press conference; NBC4 Los Angeles; FOX 11 Los Angeles; CBS News Los Angeles; KTLA 5; Fox News; One America News; Newsmax. News footage is used under fair use for news reporting and commentary.
