Dozens of suspected White supremacist gang members arrested in Los Angeles area in domestic terrorism investigation

(CNN)- A total of 68 suspected gang members with ties to White supremacy were charged in the Los Angeles area Wednesday in a large-scale takedown, federal prosecutors said.

The Peckerwoods Gang members and associates were charged in a sweeping federal indictment, which included allegations of racketeering, firearms trafficking, drug trafficking and financial fraud, according to officials.

The federal charges announced Wednesday did not include allegations of an impending planned attack, but Martin Estrada, the US Attorney for the Central District of California, said: “This group has as its mission to plan attacks against racial, ethnic, religious minorities. … We are not going to wait for the next tragedy to take action.”

More than 40 of the suspected members and associates of the Peckerwoods Gang were arrested Wednesday or were already in custody in what was “one of largest takedowns in the history of the Department of Justice against a neo-Nazi, White supremacist, violent extremist organization,” Estrada said.

The arrests involved multiple federal and local law enforcement tactical officers, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force and resources brought in from the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, a source previously told CNN.

Fueled by ‘hate’ and ‘animus’

The Peckerwoods Gang is based in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and is “essentially a local chapter of the Aryan Brotherhood,” said Akil Davis, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of Los Angeles’ field office. They engage in a wide variety of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, fraud, violence and identity theft, the US attorney said.

In aligning themselves with the Aryan Brotherhood, local gang members are able to commit a variety of crimes on the outside and give money to their incarcerated counterparts, Estrada said. The gang also benefits from the Brotherhood’s alliance with the Mexican Mafia, giving them “greater freedom to commit crimes on the outside,” Estrada added.

“What truly distinguishes them, what defines them is their hate and their animus toward racial, ethnic and religious minorities,” Estrada said.

A previously arrested member made online threats against Jews and hateful messages were found at his home, Estrada detailed.

The gang embraces the name Peckerwoods, which Estrada described as a previously used derogatory name for Caucasians in the prison system.

The group displays their affiliation with neo-Nazi ideology through tattoos, clothing and on social media, and collect Nazi paraphernalia, including swastikas and Confederate flags, Estrada said.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized large quantities of illegal firearms, “bomb-making components” and dozens of pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin, officials said.

If convicted as charged, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

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CNN.com