Law enforcement in California is trying to crack down on illegal gambling. There have been a couple of major operations held this week in different parts of the Golden State, resulting in the arrest of over hundred individuals involved in a variety of illegal activity. Things are most likely just heating up, too.
On Wednesday morning, Santa Ana Police arrested 21 suspects after raiding an illegal gambling house. That facility was operating out of a cyber café, and police were tipped off from local residents who complained about the activity.
The Lucky 999 Cyber Café saw its luck run out when police showed up around 6 a.m. The café is located in a strip mall and, armed with a search warrant, police swooped in, making the arrests and confiscating 19 gambling machines. Those machines, according to police were able generate income of as much as $20,000 in cash each week.
In March, the Los Angeles Police Department tackled a major gambling ring operating in the city. Following a tip, they raided a property in Koreatown, confiscating guns, cash, drugs and illegal gambling machines, as well as arrested seven individuals. That raid involved the local SWAT and ATF groups busting into what appeared to be, from the outside, an empty storefront. However, there was much more going on behind closed doors.
Los Angeles has a lot of illegal gambling operations, according to some estimates, given the accessibility of different locations. This raid apparently helped to take down a part of a ruthless street gang known as Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. It is one of the largest gangs in California, as well as the entire U.S., and is known for its savage acts of cruelty.
The operation was busted after police went undercover to infiltrate the facility. They were able to confirm that people were gambling inside the “empty” building and that they were being paid in cash. The price of participation was high, with law enforcement indicating that it cost $20 for every $25 gambled.
Inside the operation, police found card tables, slot machines and other gaming activity. The gambling house operated from around noon each day until late in the evening in an effort to try and not draw too much attention. It didn’t work.
