Federal and local law enforcement arrested 23 alleged drug traffickers on Skid Row on Thursday, Oct. 8, in a sweeping joint narcotics operation.

The operation began before dawn.

Dubbed "Operation Save Skid Row," the crackdown brought more than 300 officers from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS, LAPD and the U.S. Attorney's Office into downtown Los Angeles. Authorities executed 28 arrest warrants and 44 search warrants across LA County, first reported by the Los Angeles Times. A convoy of about 100 law enforcement vehicles rolled through the area.

"Los Angeles is no longer open for business and we're coming for you next," LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at a morning press conference at LAPD headquarters.

McDonnell described those arrested as "mid-level distributors" and said the operation capped more than six months of investigation. Suspects were affiliated with the Main Street Crips, Grape Street Crips, Raymond Avenue Crips and the Pueblo Bishop Bloods, according to McDonnell.

Seized items included methamphetamine, fentanyl, crack cocaine, PCP, heroin, firearms, cash and vehicles, according to ABC7.

The raids centered on 5th Street and Crocker Street in Skid Row but stretched across the county. McDonnell said 15 search warrants were served in the city, including nine on Skid Row, with others executed in Pasadena, West Covina and Simi Valley.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said on X that dealers had been charged with federal drug trafficking offenses involving fentanyl, PCP and other narcotics. He said dealers knew when homeless residents received public assistance payments and arrived "like clockwork" on those days. Essayli also said authorities were seizing vehicles purchased with drug proceeds.

According to an FBI affidavit cited by the Times, suspects allegedly disguised themselves as homeless people or social workers to blend in. They used tents and single-room occupancy units to stash drugs.

LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office charged six suspects, with 28 others facing federal cases. He called the arrests a removal of "generational players" in Skid Row's drug trade.

DEA Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said the drugs sold on Skid Row were "sourced directly by the Mexican drug cartels."

Among those arrested was Manuel Courtney Vaughns, 52, described in a federal complaint as a member of the Raymond Avenue Crips with arrests in Skid Row dating to 2019. According to the complaint, Vaughns was surveilled on July 30 making multiple hand-to-hand drug sales in Gladys Park over about 90 minutes. He was detained with $1,740 in cash.

Jesse Allred, 73, a resident of Weingart Towers on Skid Row, stood at 6th and Crocker streets during the operation holding an Arizona iced tea and the leash to his Rottweiler mix, Lady. He told the Times he has lived in the area for 15 months since getting out of jail.

The Los Angeles Community Action Network called the operation "a political publicity stunt" in a statement, arguing the resources could have been used to house Skid Row residents.

The LAPD said on X that the operation had no connection to immigration enforcement.

Essayli warned that Skid Row, MacArthur Park and downtown LA would be "a zero tolerance zone," and that anyone caught selling drugs there would face federal prosecution. The operation followed a similar crackdown at MacArthur Park earlier in 2026 that resulted in 24 arrests.

Anyone with information about drug activity in the Skid Row area can contact the LAPD at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).