FBI and local police seize dozens of suspects in massive Skid Row drug crackdown

In a coordinated effort, federal agents and LAPD raided a Pasadena residence belonging to alleged cocaine dealer Manuel Vaughns before dawn, deploying flash-bang grenades and armed officers who called for four suspects to emerge, ultimately taking two into custody. Later that morning, a convoy of roughly 100 law-enforcement vehicles entered Los Angeles’s Skid Row, cordoning off known drug hotspots and arresting numerous dealers.

The operation seized a range of narcotics—including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and PCP—along with firearms and several luxury automobiles. Investigators highlighted the dealers’ tactics, such as selling from high-end cars, posing as homeless individuals in tents, and operating disguised storefronts or social-service fronts. The raid targeted individuals identified by name, including Manuel Vaughns and others from Los Angeles, Studio City, Long Beach, Watts and Helendale. The sweep follows similar federal actions in downtown’s MacArthur Park and reflects a broader strategy to disrupt the drug trade fueling crime and addiction in the area.