Federal state officials have charged 68 members of the Southern California neo-Nazi group

Federal and local law enforcement officials have announced court filings and arrests in connection with an organized crime ring in Los Angeles run by a neo-Nazi group affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the arrest announced Wednesday morning is one of the “largest takedowns in the history of the Department of Justice of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist, violent extremist organization.”

A total of 68 people were charged as part of the “Peckerwood gang,” Estrada confirmed. Of the 68, a total of 42 are in custody.

“The Peckerwoods are involved in a wide range of criminal activities, from drug trafficking to fraud crimes, gun crimes, violence and identity theft,” Estrada said. “But what really sets them apart is their hatred and hostility towards ethnic and religious minorities.”

Members of the Peckerwood group often have tattoos with the letters “SFV” on them, which Estrada says means both “San Fernando Valley” and “search for victims.”

The Peckerwoods are based in the San Fernando Valley, Estrada confirmed, and take their name from a derogatory term used in the prison system against poor white people and white people.

Members of the group often have tattoos with the letters “SFV,” which Estrada says means both “San Fernando Valley” and “In Search of Victims.”

They also collect Nazi paraphernalia – such as swastikas – and Confederate flags, then display the symbols on their tattoos, clothing and through social media posts. They also show the symbol “88,” the numerical symbol for “Heil Hitler,” Estrada said.

The U.S. attorney cited an example of a gang member named Ryan Bradford, who was found to be selling drugs and manufacturing explosives when he was arrested. A “treasure trove” of white supremacist paraphernalia was also found, Estrada added, including replica Nazi uniforms and posters of Adolf Hitler.

Bradford also allegedly posted messages on social media indicating that he wanted to kill Jewish people and commit genocide.

“When we searched his house, we even found a notebook with a New Year’s resolution: ‘Bake every Jew,’” Estrada said. “That’s what this group stands for…that’s what the Peckerwoods are all about.”

The group also used social media to share information about criminal activity and gang rules, identify members in good – and bad – positions and target people who went against them.

Guns and drugs seized from the Peckerwood gang, a San Fernando Valley neo-Nazi group whose 68 members were federally indicted on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

“The use of social media included a members-only Facebook group and private, direct messages between the gang’s members and associates,” the Justice Department said in a news release issued shortly after Wednesday’s press conference.

Incarcerated members of the Peckerwood gang have formed an alliance with the notorious white supremacist Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, and many Peckerwood members are also members of the Aryan Brotherhood, officials added.

According to U.S. Attorney Estrada, some of these members benefit from an alliance with the Mexican mafia.

The indictment unsealed by officials on Wednesday alleges a conspiracy against the leadership of the Peckerwoods, who allegedly amassed large quantities of dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, to sell on the streets of Southern California.

Leaders would also commit “a variety” of financial fraud crimes to finance their ventures, Estrada explained, and they would use threats of violence and scare tactics to enforce the gang’s rules, including paying taxes to the Aryan Brotherhood and failure to cooperate with law enforcement. .

Several individual charges, including 60 counts of drug trafficking, are also included in the indictment, Estrada said.

Guns and drugs seized from the Peckerwood gang, a San Fernando Valley neo-Nazi group whose 68 members were federally indicted on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

“That’s 60 separate incidents where members or associates of Peckerwood have been caught with large quantities of dangerous drugs plaguing our streets,” he explained.

Other members have been hit with a slew of charges: illegal possession of a firearm, gun trafficking violations, and even stealing money set aside for small businesses suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most defendants charged with drug-related crimes face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, Estrada said.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Akil Davis echoed Estrada’s sentiments about the arrest, which he called “one of the largest investigative operations in LA County history.”

Davis compared the San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods to a “local chapter” of the Aryan Brotherhood and said members have committed acts of violence against minorities in the LA area and across the state.

“This is a historic event to have so many members of a hate group charged federally,” Davis said. “We expect this investigation will significantly cripple their network.”

Rob Saccone, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, further commented on the group’s illegal activities, noting that the group even set up a storefront – a counterfeit drug treatment center – to obtain false documents writing to get members of the group denied probation or parole and defrauding Medicare and insurance companies.