More than a hundred Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Los Angeles Police officers descended on MacArthur Park Wednesday night in the latest of a string of law enforcement operations aimed at disrupting drug trafficking in and around the park, authorities said.
The operation began around 8:30 p.m. according to DEA spokesperson Rosa Valle-Lopez with the Los Angeles field office. The raid is part of an ongoing effort by the DEA and the LAPD to address open-air drug activity and an attempt to “return MacArthur Park back to its community,” according to Valle-Lopez.
In an Instagram post, LAPD Rampart also confirmed that the operation took place and that arrests were made in MacArthur Park last night.
“The operation was highly successful and resulted in four arrests for sales of narcotics, and one felony warrant arrest who was also in possession of methamphetamine,” the department wrote.
Valle-Lopez said officials are trying to send a message to people involved in drug sales.
“We’re going to be out here at all hours of the day,” she said. “It’s going to be morning, afternoon and night.”
According to Valle-Lopez, authorities launched Wednesday night’s operation after hearing from local businesses, including longtime Langer’s Delicatessen owner Norm Langer, who has publicly supported the effort, that some drug activity had shifted to the evening hours.
She said agents entered the area from 8th Street and Alvarado Street shortly before 8:45 p.m. and remained in the park for roughly two hours.
The operation comes after a series of enforcement actions carried out by the DEA and LAPD in MacArthur Park in recent months.
“MacArthur Park is no place for drug use, violence, or organized crime,” Mayor Karen Bass’ office said in a statement Thursday. “I have directed the LAPD to utilize every resource available to stop the flow of narcotics and stolen merchandise in the park and surrounding area.”
Los Angeles will pursue “a comprehensive strategy to restore MacArthur Park that goes beyond law enforcement” which will include park programming, violence prevention outreach and other services with the park, the mayor’s office said.
Mixed reactions to ‘Operation Free MacArthur Park’
Not everyone, however, agrees with the approach. Some people who work around MacArthur Park have told The LA Local that they do not feel the operations have helped them.
“They’re terrorizing our communities. This is just going to hurt street vendors like me and also other small businesses in the area,” one street vendor, who asked not to be named because of her immigration status, said in early June after one of the operations. “I haven’t considered leaving the area just because I have my customers here.”
Valle-Lopez said the DEA views the operations as necessary because of the level of addiction and drug dealing visible around the park.
She added, however, that officials observed fewer concerning situations last night than during previous visits.
She said the operation was intended not only to target drug traffickers, but also to reassure residents, workers and businesses that authorities are committed to changing conditions around the park.
The agency plans to continue operations in the area, though Valle-Lopez said they may vary in size and visibility.
“They may be low-key, medium-scale or, as you saw last night, just us showing up and the media started showing up,” she said. “But the commitment is there, and we will definitely be back. Not sure at what scale.”
The mayor’s office reiterated Thursday that mental health and drug treatment services are provided by the state and county, not the city. Bass’ office called for an increase in funding for treatment facilities and recovery services.
“Those in the throes of addiction need access to treatment, plain and simple,” Bass said.
Questions have been raised about whether the operations are being driven by Los Angeles’ preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Valle-Lopez said that, from the DEA’s perspective, those events are not the primary motivation.
“I think it’s just long overdue to really try to change the tide in that community,” she said.
In May, however, Anthony Chrysanthis, special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Field Division, told The LA Local that these upcoming events were among the factors motivating the operations.
“FIFA is coming. The Super Bowl is coming. The Olympics are coming. It’s time to give the community back to the people of LA,” he said at the time.
The heightened law enforcement presence comes amid ongoing fears among some residents over immigration enforcement operations in the neighborhood. Valle-Lopez emphasized that Wednesday’s operation had no connection to immigration enforcement.
