- Raids & Arrests
- Nov 5, 2026
California's Biggest FBI Raid Of 2026 As Mexican Mafia Empire FALLS
At 6 a.m. on April 23, 2026, seven SWAT teams hit about 30 homes across Southern California at the same time. By that afternoon, 43 of the 47 people named in three federal indictments were in custody. Prosecutors say the man directing the network, Luis Cardenas, was serving 25 years to life in a California state prison the entire time, and ran the Orange County operation using contraband cellphones.
This video walks through what the indictments allege: illegal "slap house" casinos in strip malls and private homes, gang taxes, kidnapping, fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking, and one alleged murder at an Anaheim motel. Five weeks later, a separate operation in Fresno County, "Operation Hands Down," led to 69 more arrests tied to gangs investigators say answer to the Mexican Mafia.
News clips are used for commentary and reporting under fair use.
Presumption of innocence
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Sources
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California (press conference and indictments, April 23, 2026); FBI Los Angeles; Fresno County Sheriff's Office and California Attorney General (press conference, May 2026); reporting by ABC7, NBC Los Angeles, KTLA 5, FOX 11, CBS LA and ABC30.
