Prosecutors: 16 alleged gang members arrested in Long Beach drug bust

Police say more than a dozen suspected gang members were arrested following a massive drug bust in Long Beach. Prosecutors say 16 alleged members and associates of the Latin Kings gang were taken into

News 12 Staff

Mar 11, 2016, 8:40 AM

Updated 3,114 days ago

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Police say more than a dozen suspected gang members were arrested following a massive drug bust in Long Beach.
Prosecutors say 16 alleged members and associates of the Latin Kings gang were taken into custody during raids early Thursday morning.
According to the four-count indictment unsealed Thursday, the alleged gang members are accused of trafficking hundreds of pounds of cocaine, crack, marijuana and the synthetic drug Molly in Long Beach and Baldwin.
One of the defendants is a City of Long Beach employee, Arthur Collins. A city spokesperson says Collins, who has been a supervisor of sewer maintenance for 10 years, is now indefinitely suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
The bust came after a two-year joint investigation between Long Beach police, the FBI and the DEA. The FBI says its evidence includes telephone recordings of the defendants discussing drug deals.
The suspects were arraigned Thursday in federal court in Central Islip. Prosecutors say 11 of the defendants face a maximum of life in prison, if convicted.