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EXCLUSIVE: Federal and local law enforcement officers arrested 14 suspected leaders of the Rancho San Pedro gang Tuesday in Los Angeles , capping a yearslong investigation into what the FBI called one of the most violent street crews in Southern California and a known arm of the Mexican Mafia.

FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital the bust marks a turning point in the fight against cartel-linked gangs.

"The era of cartels operating freely in America is over," Patel said. "Every day, the FBI and our partners are dismantling violent networks at the source, stripping their resources, taking criminals off the streets and saving American lives."

The FBI 's Los Angeles Field Office said agents executed 16 search warr

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