Police, DEA agents flood L.A.’s MacArthur Park for narcotics enforcement operation

Multiple people were arrested after local and federal law enforcement agents descended upon L.A.’s MacArthur Park to carry out a nighttime narcotics enforcement operation.

Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) descended on the park at around 9 p.m.

Among the personnel who arrived at the scene was First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who joined authorities in overseeing the operation.

In a statement, LAPD said officers were “assisting our federal partners in a joint narcotics enforcement operation in the MacArthur Park area. This operation is focused solely on drug-related criminal activity. There is no connection to immigration enforcement.”

More than 100 law enforcement members were involved, including around 60 DEA agents and 55 LAPD officers. As officers converged on the park, many people were seen running away.

Six people were eventually taken into custody for felony drug charges.

Officials told KTLA’s Jillian Smukler that they intentionally waited until nightfall after frustrated business owners said that most of the visible drug activity occurred at night, following previous raids that took place much earlier in the day.

“We’ve been hearing that a lot of stuff has been moving to later in the day, so that’s why we’re coming out later in full force to show them that this is not a joke,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, a DEA spokesperson. “We are taking the park back for the people. This will happen. It’s going to take time, but it will happen.”

DEA agents are supporting LAPD efforts as part of a long-term strategy to eradicate a troubling increase in drug activity at MacArthur Park.

Authorities had targeted the park multiple times in the past for narcotics-related operations. 

The latest incident occurred on June 4 as officers carried out a mission named “Operation Free MacArthur Park,” which involved serving arrest and search warrants in the area surrounding the park. Thirteen people were arrested for various offenses and officers recovered drug paraphernalia during the operation.

L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at the time that authorities were targeting the demand side of the drug trade, going after small-time drug dealers and the drug addicts who are using every day.

“I refuse to allow MacArthur Park to be a cemetery, and that’s what it’s been,” Hochman said. “Because we’ve had individual after individual after individual die of drug overdoses, so much so that the local fire department spends much more time trying to revive people with Narcan who are on death’s door than they do putting out fires in this area.”

Authorities told KTLA they will maintain a presence at the park and work to eliminate all drug activity, allowing the park to be a safe place for residents and visitors.

“We remain committed to keeping our communities safe and informed as this operation continues,” LAPD said.