13 arrested in operation cracking down on Santa Ana street gang
Authorities took 13 people into custody during an early morning sweep on Thursday, Nov. 7 in an operation cracking down on the Santa Ana Townsend Street gang.
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The Orange County Violent Gang Task Force arrested gang members as part of Operation Black Rhino, which began in April. Several of those they arrested had felony convictions for firearm-related offenses and violent crimes including murder and attempted murder. Two of those arrested were taken in for probation violations.
SWAT crews and officers went to 15 locations during Thursday’s pre-dawn sweep and deputies in Orange County jails also did searches of cells that belonged to Townsend Street gang inmates, Santa Ana police Chief David Valentin said during a press conference. Most of the locations and suspects were in Santa Ana though some were also in surrounding areas such as Garden Grove and Whittier.
During the operation five firearms including a Mac-11 with a silencer, more than three pounds of drugs and $16,000 in cash were also seized. Based in Santa Ana, the task force includes FBI agents and gang investigators from several local cities.
Valentin called the Townsend Street gang, which has been around since at least the 1980s, one of the most violent in the city. One of the goals of the operation is to try to quell the impact the gang has on youth in the community.
“It’s a multi-generational gang that’s been around for a number of years,” Valentin said. “They have a strong grasp into young people and it’s our job to continue to stay focused and break that cycle.”
He said that the gang has about 112 documented members who are active from Raitt Street to Jerome Park and from McFadden Avenue to Wilshire Avenue.
Those in custody include:
- Edgar Calvo, 26
- Fernando Guerrero, 35
- Alexander Laur, 24
- Carlos Daniel Godinez Sanchez, 19
- Jordan Castaneda, 21
- Omar Valencia Montes, 23
- Ricardo Solorio, 19
- Giovanni Marcial, 27
- Alexis Lara, 24
- Fernando Cuevas, 34
- Jaime Garcia, 28
- Jairo Echeverria, 25
A 13th person arrested was not immediately identified.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said his agency will take the lead in prosecuting the suspects who would likely be arraigned early next week.