Three alleged gang members from Ventura County were arrested Tuesday on federal drug distribution and firearms trafficking charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The arrests came during the second phase of Operation Supernova, an investigation into Ventura County's largest street gang, Colonia Chiques.
During the undercover operation in Camarillo, a gang member agreed to sell 10 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 kilograms of cocaine to undercover operatives for $200,000, authorities said.
In total, six people are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to sell firearms without a dealer license, authorities said. The criminal complaint against the suspects was unsealed Tuesday.
In addition to the arrests, law enforcement authorities seized an AK-47 and a sawed-off shotgun from one of the residences, officials said.
Tuesday's arrests are the result of an investigation into the Colonia Chiques, which was formed in the 1970s and has strong ties to the Mexican Mafia prison gang, authorities said.
In the first part of Operation Supernova, federal prosecutors convicted 11 defendants who have received sentences of up to 25 years in prison. The defendants named in the complaint face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in federal prison and statutory maximum sentences of life in prison if they are convicted.
If you or someone you know has been charged with drug traficking you should
contact Ventura County criminal defense attorney
Robert Helfend. He has over 20 years of experience and will fight for your rights.