Federal agents arrested 16 people accused of being members of the Puente-13, authorities said. The Puente-13 is a violent gang based in the San Gabriel Valley known for carrying out killings “greenlit” by the Mexican Mafia, kidnapping enemies and trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
The suspects were arrested Wednesday on federal complaints charging them with involvement in kidnappings, two shootings, illegal gun sales and drug trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The complaint names 20 alleged members and associates, three of whom are still at large and one in state custody. The fugitive defendants are Larry Castillo, 42, also known as “Lil Dee,” of Victorville; Soo Kang, 31, also known as “Easy,” of Koreatown; and Bryan Gordian-Padilla, 24, also known as “Goon,” of West Covina.
Others arrested Wednesday had aliases including “Poirot,” “Ghost,” “Snobella,” “Lil Speedy” and “Monkey,” authorities said.
Prosecutors said authorities seized 71 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition during the investigation. They confiscated thousands of pills containing fentanyl and carfentanil — a synthetic drug more than 100 times more potent by weight than fentanyl — and 10 pounds of methamphetamine.
In addition to drug trafficking and illegal gun sales, the complaints linked alleged Puente-13 members to three violent crimes: a shooting of rival gangsters at a Covina residence in December 2022; a July 2023 abduction of two victims, one of whom was beaten with a metal pole; and a shooting outside a La Puente liquor store in May 2025.
The Puente-13 are a multi-generational Latino street gang that formed in La Puente in the early 1950s, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint.
Over the years, the organization has grown its membership to about 600 affiliates and its territory has expanded to include communities such as Hacienda Heights, Walnut City, Industrial Park, Pomona and West Covina, according to the affidavit. There are at least 14 known subsets or “factions”, with names including Ballista Street, Blackwood Street, Northam Street and Dial Avenue, taken from the areas where the leaders live.
The “13” in the gang’s name indicates its connection to the Mexican Mafia, as the letter “M” is the 13th letter of the alphabet. The Mexican Mafia originated in the prison system to control and direct the activities of Latino street gangs in Southern California, testimony said.
“Mexican Mafia leaders issued instructions and orders, including orders to kill rival gang members, which were known as ‘green lights,'” the affidavit states. “These orders will be enforced by California street gang members, including Puente-13 members, who view them as an opportunity to gain higher status.”
Mexican Mafia leaders also received a portion of the profits Puente-13 members made from drug and gun sales in the form of taxes, the affidavit said.
The complaint alleges that confidential informants and undercover agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives purchased drugs and firearms from alleged gang members as part of the investigation.
ATF led the investigation with help from the Covina Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, West Covina Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Baldwin Park Police Department.
Prosecutors said nine of the 20 defendants face up to life in federal prison if convicted.
Wednesday’s arrests follow similar arrests in October, when federal agents arrested multiple suspected members of the Mexican Mafia-affiliated gang Rancho San Pedro in the Port of Los Angeles area. In the case, 13 people were charged with participating in a criminal enterprise and conspiring to possess and distribute illegal drugs.
