Federal brokers arrested 16 alleged members of Puente-13 — a violent San Gabriel Valley-based gang identified for finishing up killings “greenlighted” by the Mexican Mafia, kidnapping enemies and trafficking vital quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, authorities stated.
The suspects have been arrested Wednesday on federal complaints alleging their involvement in a kidnapping, two shootings, unlawful firearms gross sales and the trafficking of narcotics, in response to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The complaints title 20 alleged members and associates, three of whom stay at giant and one who was already in state custody. The at-large defendants are Larry Castillo, 42, aka “Lil Dee,” of Victorville; Soo Kang, 31, aka “Easy,” of Koreatown; and Bryan Gordian-Padilla, 24, aka “Goon,” of West Covina.
Authorities stated others arrested Wednesday had aliases together with “Pollo,” “Ghost,” “Snowbella,” “Lil Speedy” and “Monkey.”
During the investigation, authorities seized 71 firearms and 1000’s of rounds of ammunition, prosecutors stated. They confiscated 1000’s of tablets containing fentanyl and carfentanil — an artificial drug greater than 100 occasions as potent as fentanyl by weight — and 10 kilos of methamphetamine.
In addition to drug trafficking and unlawful firearm gross sales, the complaints hyperlink alleged Puente-13 members to 3 violent crimes — a December 2022 taking pictures of rival gangsters at a Covina residence; a July 2023 kidnapping of two victims, one in every of whom was crushed with a steel pole; and a May 2025 taking pictures exterior a La Puente liquor retailer.
Puente-13 is a multi-generational Latino road gang that was based within the early Fifties in La Puente, in response to an affidavit filed with the complaints.
Over the years, it has expanded its membership to round 600 associates and its territory to the communities of Hacienda Heights, Walnut, Industry, Pomona and West Covina, the affidavit states. There are at the least 14 identified subsets, or “cliques,” with names corresponding to Ballista Street, Blackwood Street, Northam Street and Dial Avenue, taken from areas the place leaders dwell.
The “13” within the gang’s title denotes its affiliation with the Mexican Mafia, because the letter “M” is the thirteenth letter within the alphabet. The Mexican Mafia gang originated inside the jail system to manage and direct the actions of Southern California Latino road gangs, in response to the affidavit.
“The Mexican Mafia leaders issued instructions and orders, together with orders to kill rival gang members, which have been known as ‘green-lights,’” the affidavit states. “Those orders have been to be executed by California road gang members, together with members of Puente-13, and have been understood by Puente-13 gang members as alternatives to achieve elevated standing.”
Mexican Mafia leaders additionally collected a share of Puente-13 members’ earnings in drug and firearm gross sales as a type of tax, the affidavit states.
As a part of the investigation, confidential informants and undercover brokers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives bought medication and firearms from alleged gang members, in response to the complaints.
The ATF led the investigation with assist from the Covina Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the West Covina Police Department, the California Highway Patrol and the Baldwin Park Police Department.
If convicted as charged, 9 of the 20 defendants face most sentences of life in federal jail, prosecutors stated.
Wednesday’s arrests comply with a related bust in October when federal brokers arrested a number of alleged members of the Mexican Mafia-affiliated gang Rancho San Pedro within the Los Angles Harbor Area. In that case, 13 folks have been charged with being a part of a legal enterprise and with conspiring to own and distribute unlawful medication.
