Feds Dismantle ‘Open-Air Drug Market’: Record Fentanyl Seizure Strikes Major Blow to Gang Networks

On Wednesday, federal agents descended upon a California park as part of a large-scale operation aimed at dismantling a notorious open-air drug market infamous for selling fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The operation, named “Operation Free MacArthur Park,” resulted in at least 18 arrests, with authorities seizing over $10 million worth of fentanyl. The initiative was a collaborative effort between local and federal agencies, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

“Today marks the beginning of our efforts to reclaim MacArthur Park from criminal activity and drug use, restoring this public space to the residents of Los Angeles,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “In partnership with our federal and local law enforcement colleagues, we are executing numerous arrest and search warrants against individuals distributing drugs in and around the park.”

Situated just west of downtown Los Angeles, MacArthur Park has garnered a reputation as a hotspot for drug transactions, despite its proximity to residential and commercial areas.

On May 6, 2026, authorities conducted a comprehensive sweep of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California, as part of a coordinated federal and local initiative to dismantle the open-air drug market.

A sweeping federal criminal complaint alleging narcotics distribution and possession offenses was filed against 25 defendants on the same day the operation was carried out, with authorities already taking 18 individuals into custody on drug-related charges.

One suspect, identified only as a Calabasas resident, was arrested after authorities seized approximately 40 pounds of fentanyl at their home, according to federal prosecutors. 

The operation was also attributed to a crackdown on the notorious 18th Street gang and MS-13, both of which control territories within the park, authorities said.

Authorities conduct a sweep of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California, on May 6, 2026, as part of a joint federal and local effort to dismantle an open-air drug market. (Fox News)

The federal complaint alleges that Los Angeles natives Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, 31, and her boyfriend, Jackson Tarfur, 28, “serve as the, if not one of the main sources of supply of fentanyl powder and methamphetamine distributed in the Alvarado Corridor and MacArthur Park, generally on behalf of the 18th Street Gang.”

According to prosecutors, Moreno-Lopez and Tarfur allegedly “hand-delivered” narcotics stored at their home to the Alvarado Corridor near MacArthur Park in an effort to stash the drugs in storefronts and distribute to street-level dealers.

Authorities seized more than $10 million worth of fentanyl during Operation Free MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California, on May 6, 2026. (Fox News)

Authorities also allege Yolanda Iriarte-Avila, 40, served as a supplier of methamphetamine to the couple, and Jesus Morales-Landel, 33, worked as a street-level drug dealer in the MacArthur Park area.

Over a nearly six weeks beginning in March, investigators gathered evidence of 27 separate drug deals for fentanyl and methamphetamine transpiring both in and around the park, federal prosecutors said.

Federal agents gather at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles during a large-scale drug enforcement operation targeting fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution on May 6, 2026. (Fox News)

If convicted, Moreno-Lopez, Tarfur, Iriarte-Avila and Morales-Landel face a minimum of 20 years behind bars, while the other unnamed individuals taken into custody could be given a maximum sentence of 10 years. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for additional comment. 

The operation was carried out in coordination with hundreds of members of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division’s Southern California Drug Task Force (SCDTF), a DEA-led multi-agency task force within the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program and the Los Angeles Police Department, a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release said.

Authorities conduct a sweep of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California, on May 6, 2026, as part of a joint federal and local effort to dismantle an open-air drug market. (Fox News)

“Today’s operation is only one step, taken by a handful of agencies working hard to alleviate the anguish and sense of hopelessness burdening MacArthur Park, local businesses, and the surrounding neighborhood,” Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, said. “While this is a drug enforcement operation, it is also an effort to restore safety and wellness, and to return MacArthur Park back to the community.”