Dozens Of Aryan Brotherhood, Fresnecks Gang Members Jailed In Multi-County Sweep

SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- Dozens of suspected Aryan Brotherhood and Fresnecks gang members were arrested in a multi-agency sweep across five counties, the California Attorney General's Office announced Friday.

Fifty suspects were arrested in Fresno County on Thursday, and officers seized four firearms, illegal drugs including methamphetamine and heroin, and over $40,000. Another 15 suspects were arrested after search warrants were executed in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Tulare counties.

Members of the Aryan Brotherhood and Fresnecks are accused of home invasions, murders, kidnappings, large scale identity theft and fraud, as well as other violent crimes within Fresno County and throughout California. The attorney general's office said they have significant resources to purchase and distribute firearms and controlled substances.

The investigation involved the California Department of Justice, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations - Office of Correctional Safety (CDCR), the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California and the Fresno County District Attorney's Office.

"Working alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we've zeroed in and taken down alleged members of two criminal organizations with a history of violent crime in Fresno and throughout California," said Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a press release. "The success of this operation highlights the way multiagency collaboration can help keep our communities safe. Thank you to all of the individuals who made this operation a success."

The attorney general's office said that over the course of the investigation into the Aryan Brotherhood, Fresnecks, and their associates, 102 arrests were made, and 47 firearms, 89 pounds of methamphetamine, 5.75 pounds of heroin, and $136,156 were seized.