By Beatriz Valenzuela
San Bernardino County Sun
San Bernardino, Calif. — Following an extensive investigation by local and federal agents, several Mexican Mafia members and associates were indicted in connection to a series of violent jail attacks on inmates last year, FBI officials announced Friday.
“In one case, prosecutors allege, an individual whom the Mexican Mafia believed to be cooperating with law enforcement was stabbed several times in the head and upper torso after a Mexican Mafia associate allegedly gave an order for the individual to be murdered,” according to an FBI news release.
Among the 14 indicted in the case is Eyreick Arballo, 33, of Pomona, officials said. Arballo was already behind bars when he was charged in the case. Jose De Jesus Rivera, 33, of Compton and Daniel Bustamante, 29, of Long Beach were also arrested Thursday at their homes in connection to the case.
Daniel Ramos, 31, Miguel Garcia, 33, James Piano (age unavailable) Victor Hernandez, 40, Willam Membreno, 30, Edgardo Moreno, 40, Miguel Arciniega, 20, Sergio Chavez, 20, Jose Salazar, 28, Greg Gonzalez, 30, and Rene Arana, 31, who are all currently incarcerated, were also charged in the case, according to the release.
Beginning in July 2016, the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force based out of the Pomona police station, began their investigation into the assaults on inmates within Los Angeles County jails, officials said.
Authorities learned the attacks were being ordered by the notorious Mexican Mafia prison gang from outside of prison walls, according to authorities. The attacks were carried out by the foot soldiers, sometimes known as Surenos, within the jails. The assaults or even murders ordered by the shotcallers were made against inmates that leaders believed violated Mexican Mafia rules, officials said.
The indictment were announced Friday by Deirdre Fike, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s L.A. field office in conjunction with Jackie Lacy, the District Attorney for L.A. and Jim McDonnell, sheriff of L.A. County.
The FBI San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force was formed in 2008 and made up of law enforcement members from the FBI, DEA, Pomona Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, including investigators with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Operation Safe Jails; and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Special Services Unit.
The Task Force for Regional Auto-theft Prevention also assisted in the investigation.
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