After several years of investigations and planning, the FBI announced today that 99 members of the Orange County street gang the Mexican Mafia were targeted and charged with a range of criminal activities, from racketeering to firearms distribution to murder. The operation was carried out by over 500 federal agents and officers, and those charged include some gang members who were still on the streets as well as some who were already imprisoned for other crimes. more ›

27 people affiliated with the Lennox 13 gang have been arrested in an operation employing nearly 500 law enforcement personnel. A raid was conducted this morning as the culmination of an 18-month probe by a joint federal-state team, according to the Department of Justice. more ›

In El Salvador there are two prisons that are purely devoted to two gangs that originated in Los Angeles. How did this transnational network come about? Deportation for one. When a gang member serves a sentence in California and then deported to their home country, the gang business moves with them. Bruce Riordan, director of anti-gang operations in the LA city attorney's office told the New York Times that, "these gangs are the new and emerging organized crime in America." more ›

Let's start over, shall we? Disney is investing $1.1 billion into California (Mis)adventure, the ghost town of an amusement park next to Disneyland. The Rose Queen for the Pasadena Rose Parade was announced this morning and her name is Dusty. We just love that name for a girl. Staring now, there is no excuse for anyone of any age to ever go "I don't get blogging." The world's oldest blogger celebrated her birthday this... more ›

Soaked in blood and reeking with suspense "L.A. Rex" is set in South Central Los Angeles, and is about cops, crips, rappers, and "are the killers of El Eme's tax collectors carrying an oval badge?" more ›

By week's end, Los Angeles is regularly littered with a handful of free rags. Combined, these publications put the Tribune Company's Spring Street operation to shame as far as reporting on the dozens of municipalities that make up this metropolis of more than 12 million people. LAist reads the weeklies so you don't have to. If there's anything we missed, pretty please let us know, or better yet, drop it in the comments section... more ›

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A rumor started earlier this week running from email to email, IM window to IM window, phone to phone amongst the Southern California black community that the freeway shootings are gang related and that the "Mexican Mafia" is targeting black men wearing white tee shirts in retaliation for stolen drugs. Yesterday, it expanded to include specifics about attacks happening on Cinco de Mayo at area high schools. Despite the LAPD's assurances that they've found nothing to corroborate the claims, many parents, particularly in South LA, are keeping their kids home today and security has been increased at several campuses. more ›