Federal authorities arrested 18 people on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in a coordinated operation targeting alleged drug distribution around MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the arrests were part of an effort to dismantle an open-air drug market in the area, where officials seized 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of fentanyl from a single home. Two of those arrested, a couple from South Los Angeles, are believed to be the primary suppliers of drugs sold in the park, according to authorities.
The raid involved agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and other law enforcement officers. Officials said the operation targeted storefronts and street-level dealers operating in the park, which has become a site of open-air drug use and homeless encampments in recent years. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated during a news conference that the arrests were necessary because 'California policy has failed,' emphasizing that the park should be a space for families and residents, not drug dealers and gangsters.
MacArthur Park, located in a densely populated immigrant neighborhood west of downtown Los Angeles, has been the subject of previous enforcement actions. In March, federal authorities arrested a dozen members and associates of the 18th Street gang on charges including murder, extortion, and drug trafficking. Authorities have described the park as part of heavily contested gang territory.
The operation drew the attention of onlookers, including people participating in a food giveaway by a local nonprofit. LAPD officers cordoned off parts of the park with yellow crime scene tape, and a helicopter was deployed overhead. Authorities made announcements over a loudspeaker, instructing people to comply with law enforcement commands.