We are watching a remake of the “Untouchables” in Los Angeles, with Bill Essayli as Eliot Ness.
Every week, it seems, the leading federal prosector scores another major bust — fraudsters stealing millions from state and local coffers; Iranian regime sympathizers allegedly making arms deals from their homes; and, now, dangerous Mexican gangsters, living openly in Southern California.
As The California Post reported, the FBI conducted a stunning pre-dawn raid Thursday, dubbed “Operation Gangsta’s Paradise,” nabbing the alleged leaders of a “gang of gangs, who had apparently lived openly and comfortably in the suburban climes of Orange County.
LA’s top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, described the Mexican Mafia as “the most powerful, prolific gang that operates out of state prisons.” REUTERS It’s incredible what a difference good leadership can make in the US Attorney’s office. And he has the energetic backing of FBI Director Kash Patel.
The attack on foreign gangs has been a multipronged affair.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have swept up gangsters who had no right to be in the United States. Many had defied deportation orders for years — until President Donald Trump let border czar Tom Homan lead the long-overdue crackdown.
Essayli and the prosecutors have used every legal tool and intelligence capability at their disposal to disrupt criminal networks and catch foreign agents who were let into the US under previous administrations.
What is particularly encouraging is that law enforcement has been aggressive and successful despite the political turmoil in Washington.
The daring arrests targeted alleged murders, drug dealers and racketeers taken by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from a series of residences in and around the city of Santa Ana. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post There has been a game of musical chairs going on, as Kristi Noem was replaced by Markwayne Mullin at the Department of Homeland Security, and Pam Bondi was booted from the Department of Justice.
Essayli, Patel, Homan, and their staff have stayed focused on the job. They know that for all the Cabinet-level chaos, the man in the Oval Office has confidence in them and has given them free rein to carry out their duties.
It may be hard to believe now, but as of late 2024, Essayli was a junior backbencher in the state legislature. He led the opposition on several crucial issues, but was constantly shouted down by Democrats, who denied him the right to speak and kicked him off committees.
Trump’s victory opened a new path for Essayli — a return to law enforcement, where he began his career as a prosecutor.
And the people of Southern California have been the main beneficiaries, as crime has fallen and criminal gangsters have been arrested or sent packing.
Before, the criminals were untouchable. No longer.
