Members of the Puente-13 Street Gang Face Drug Trafficking Charges, According to DOJ

Federal Charges Filed Against 20 Members of San Gabriel Valley Gang

Federal authorities have announced charges against 20 individuals linked to the Puente-13 street gang, based in San Gabriel Valley. The U.S. Justice Department revealed the charges on Wednesday, which encompass drug trafficking, illegal weapons sales, shootings, and the kidnapping of two individuals.

Authorities, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division, Covina Police Department, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, held a news conference Wednesday afternoon following the execution of federal and state warrants targeting gang members and their associates.

Of the 20 people charged, 16 were arrested, while three remain at large. One additional associate is already in state custody, according to the DOJ.

The gang is accused of distributing a range of narcotics, including methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and carfentanil—an opioid that is reported to be 100 times more potent than fentanyl. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine, thousands of fentanyl and carfentanil pills, and numerous weapons, totaling 71 firearms, which include 14 rifles, a machine-gun conversion device, four short-barreled rifles, and three firearms with obliterated serial numbers. Additional items seized included three pieces of body armor, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and around $9,500 in cash.

The kidnapping incident, which is part of the charges, occurred in July 2023, when two individuals were forcibly taken by a gang member who believed they had stolen his belongings during a home burglary earlier that month. One victim was allowed to leave, while the other managed to escape after sustaining severe injuries.

If convicted, nine of the defendants could face life sentences in federal prison.