52 are arrested in gang sweep

A massive gang sweep in Riverside County resulted in the arrest of 52 people Thursday and the seizure of almost $1.6 million worth of drugs, according to authorities.

The raids targeted suspected members of the Corona Varrio Locos and the Mexican Mafia, police said.

The operation involved more than 300 state and local officers. Authorities also seized 67 firearms, including assault rifles and semiautomatic weapons, and more than $95,000 in cash, Corona police Sgt. Brent Nelson said.

“Corona was the major city targeted,” he said. “Our violent crime rate in Corona went up. Our investigation has been months in the making.”

The crimes included robberies, extortion and a fatal stabbing at Corona City Park, he said. “Those cases brought everything together so that we could tie it into one group,” he said. “Through the investigation, that’s where the conspiracies to commit murder, drug trafficking and drug violations came into place.”

Police worked with multiple agencies, including the Riverside County sheriff’s gang task force and the state Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation Special Operations Unit. “When a gang comes into our communities, law enforcement has a duty to protect our city and our neighborhoods,” Nelson said.