A chill must have gone up failed Santa Ana Mayoral candidate Alfredo Amezcua’s spine this morning when he cracked open the newspaper and found out that “Federal and state authorities charged 99 alleged Orange County gang members with crimes including murder, drug trafficking and extortion, at least half or whom were associated with the Mexican Mafia prison gang,” according to NPR.
U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte said a primary target of “Operation Black Flag” was Peter Ojeda, also known as “The Big Homie” and “El Senor.” Sixty-nine-year-old Ojeda is a member of the Mexican Mafia who has long controlled its operations in Orange County, though he’s been in federal prison for five years.
Amezcua is said to have been the top lawyer for the head of the Mexican Mafia, Peter “Sana” Ojeda. In fact the L.A. Times identified Amezcua as an adviser for the United Gangs Council, in a 1993 article that also mentioned that Ojeda was a leader of this organization.
Ojeda was later arrested for allegedly taxing drug dealers. And then he was “sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to violating federal racketeering and narcotics laws,” according to an online news report.
Amezcua was also mentioned in another L.A. Times article in 1992, when another Urgan Gangs Council leader, Art Romo, was arrested, for alleged money laundering. In that article Amezcua was referred to as their “unofficial legal and political adviser.”
I doubt Amezcua is crying about the latest arrests. Most likely he is making a lot of calls and trying to pick up some more gang banger clients…
Kudos to the FBI, ATF, Orange County Sheriff’s and Santa Ana Police Departments, Department of Corrections as well as state and federal prosecutors who carried out “Operation Black Flag.”
Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido got his two cents in too, “Today we are safer and better off,” he said. “Without this cooperation, we just couldn’t do this. The bad guys are so good now (at evading authorities) … Unless we cooperate, we just couldn’t do what we were able to do today.”
I am so glad Pulido beat Amezcua last year! Does anyone really think Amezcua would have supported Operation Black Flag? I don’t think so!
what about that 18 month old baby that was killed? cant say much…but talk about sana which probaly has more say in this city than you do….
I heard Count Chocula wants to be in the Mexican mafia cause he’s so tough…
Alfredo hasn’t had a chance to show what he can do as Mayor.. I’m not saying he’s the answer… But I know MIguel Pulido sure isn’t.. Year after year same old .. Same old.
Lapazioco,
Really? I guess you have been napping while Pulido and our progressive all-Latino City Council majority have cleaned house this past year and gotten rid of Dave Ream and his cronies. This Council is getting things done, but they have a ways to go before they erase the stink of past Usual Suspect City Councils. It is worth noting that Amezcua is now allied with those lame Council predecessors, even though many of them hate his people.
For the record.. Attorneys defend your ” Rights” in a Court of Law.. not you personally. They maybe friends or what ever but even Criminals have rights in this Country.. Yea.. I don’t always like either..
Lapazloco,
We all know that, but how discouraging is it to see our law enforcement officials arrest 99 members of La Eme knowing full well that the Amezcuas of the world are going to get busy right away trying to free these scumbags and return them to our neighborhoods?
Amezcua only practices criminal defense, according to the State Bar, and he has chosen over the years to roll with the most dangerous, violent criminals possible. He chose that career path – and there is no way in Hell I am going to reward him by voting for him, for any office.
Yes they have cleaned out.. All the time lining their pockets along the way. Miguel has his hands in all aspects of City businesses. While you were napping he and his father were scamming the Lunch Trucks that operate in SA. He tried to get “Finders Fees” trying to se buildings to the Feds.. He gets paid under the table to have his special interests people gain advantages in City Contracts. You ever see hom at a Council Meeting? Or at a Citizen sponsored fucntion? You see him walk the streets in SA or shop there? H@LL no.. Does he Dine downtown with his Friends and Famy on Week nights? He’s a freaking Ghost Mayor.. You can go back to napping now who ever you are. My guess your one of his Clonies..
Lapazloco,
Old news – and that business was not Pulido’s, it was his dad’s. And they lost money on it. And no, they did not scam anyone. It was just a poor investment.
There was nothing illegal about the finder’s fee deal, at all, and it went nowhere. Again, like your boy Amezcua you are shooting nothing but blanks.
And you sound like all the Usual Suspect yahoos who cry about meetings. Pulido is a busy Mayor and businessman and he has a young family. He should not be attending all the meetings your pals go to, where nothing gets done anyway. Pulido is getting things done at City Hall. That is what matters.
Those who matter know who I am. For now all you need to know is that I run the only blog in town – and we are now averaging over 33,000 page views a month. BTW, our biggest story this week was the Amezcua La Eme story.
Mr. Blog~ I’m not attacking you.. I thought this was about posting opinions. You seem get defensive in a heart beat. If you know Ruben Martinez then you know who I ran with in the 50’s.. I knew Miguel when he was a teenager. Our family were on the SA police Dept. , DA ‘s office and sat on the bench. Our family also practiced ” only criminal law ” and had our own Law Offices. We knew about SA from the inside out. I’m not defending Alfredos business dealings.. You can defend a bad person and win. Then all of a sudden your a Mafia Associate? Those were challenging times to test out skill in practicing law. Hey.. Enjoy your 30,000+ blog.. Good for you brother. But leave the law to those who passed the California Bar.. Stay positive.. Not so defensive..
Lapazloco,
Wow! An old school commenter. My apologies and thank you for adding your voice to the fray.
Not many folks know this but I approached Amezcua in 2009 and I even started this blog to help his campaign – within a few weeks however I caught him in an alliance with the racist Usual Suspects and that was it for me and Amezcua. I have been battling him ever since.
I fought Pulido for fifteen years but now that he has an all-Latino Council he is finally doing the right things and he has my full support. Amezcua on the other hand is right there in the gutter with the racistas that are no longer in power at City Hall.
I don”t know what to make of Amezcua at this point. I am just glad he lost last year.