The FBI and several local police departments in Orange County announced a crackdown on a couple of gangs including the Brownwood Gang, which is largely based in Anaheim at a news conference on Wednesday.
Sixteen alleged members of the Brownwood street gang are facing charges including:
- Felon in Possession of Ammunition
- Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
- Possession of Unregistered Firearms and a Destructive Device
- Possession of Firearms Not Identified by a Serial Number
- Transporting Unregistered Firearms and a Destructive Device in Interstate Commerce
Ten of those people were arrested and three of them including Jonathan Castaneda, Cassandra Camacho and Cristobal Flores are considered fugitives.
The Anaheim police began investigating the case back in July 2019, alleging that the Brownwood Gang was involved in illegal firearms sales and drug distribution in Orange County.
Brownwood Gang members would travel from Texas to California to trade guns for drugs and then other gang members would illegally sell those guns and also narcotics throughout Southern California.
The FBI bought drugs and guns from several of the charged gang members a number of times between July 2019 and August 2020 using a confidential source. That confidential source made 25 separate purchases of approximately 759 grams of methamphetamine and 23 guns, according to the FBI.
The FBI, DEA and other agencies also seized six rifles and pistols; rifle scopes; AR15 upper receivers; one suppresser; and one pipe bomb as well as drugs, cash and a Sig Sauer handgun and the operation on Wednesday led to the seizure of seven more weapons.
Joining the FBI and DEA at Wednesday’s news conference were members of the Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana police departments, along with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, all of whom were involved in the task forces and the gang investigations. Also involved were members of the Riverside, Fullerton and Huntington Beach police departments, among other law enforcement agencies.
Same as Operation Halo, yes they confiscate a lot of money and drugs in the end but during the years it takes to do this innocent people are injured and murdered by the gangbangers. I prefer the way Councilmember Buscaino simply removed the Gardena 13 Criminal Street Gang from Ainsworth within 30 days of receiving my photo of the gangbangers taking over the Elementary School and Chief Welter removing most of the Ponderosa Wakefield Criminal Street Gang within one week of receiving my photos of them taking over the Park where children play. Proves it can be done quickly. Also within one day of submitting a photo of a drug dealer at Little Peoples Park Anaheim police permanently removed the street gang. Gangbangers have no right to exist in our society. I encourage the public to submit a photo of gangbangers taking over a street or park to police. Do it without them noticing you. Police will take action if the public gets involved.