Thirty charged in takedown of gang-associated crack cocaine street market (DOJ)

SAN DIEGO - A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging 30 alleged West Coast Crips gang members and associates with distributing large amounts of cocaine base to customers at an open-air crack market on Imperial Avenue about a mile and a half east of Petco Park.

In a coordinated takedown this morning, more than 350 members of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force - Gang Group, plus federal, state, and local law enforcement officials executed 21 search warrants on homes and vehicles in San Diego and arrested 28 defendants. As of 1 p.m, two defendants were still being sought.

Surveillance recording of hand-to-hand transactions allegedly being conducted by defendants Elton Wilson (in the reflective vest) and Eric Grady (white shirt at the bottom of the photograph) at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market. All photos are contained in court documents.

The investigation began in 2024 and focused on West Coast Crips (WCC) gang members suspected of drug trafficking and committing acts of violence in San Diego at and near the Crips-controlled outdoor drug market located at 2900 Imperial Avenue, pictured below.

According to court documents, the market functioned as both a retail outlet and a wholesale hub, supplying users directly while also feeding a network of low-level dealers who spread across East Village, downtown, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, and beyond to redistribute crack cocaine.

Investigators believe thousands of customers repeatedly purchased cocaine base at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market in 2025. Those customers would approach Crips members staffing the market and buy cocaine base with cash. Investigators estimate that about 20 pounds of cocaine - with an estimated street value of at least $550,000 - were sold at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market weekly.

Including seizures today and throughout this investigation, authorities have confiscated more than 11 pounds of cocaine; more than $14,000 in U.S. currency; two handguns and a money counting device. According to wiretapped conversations between coconspirators, defendants frequently sold out their inventory and would then look to replenish their supply.

For most of the investigation, a surveillance camera was trained on the Imperial Avenue Crack Market, capturing daily activity consistent with the sale of cocaine base, cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine.

According to court documents, the conspirators fell into three categories based on their roles: (1) street-level dealers who sold crack cocaine at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market; (2) suppliers who provided powder cocaine to be converted into crack cocaine for sale at the market; and (3) purchasers who bought crack cocaine at the market for redistribution elsewhere, including in San Diego's East Village neighborhood near Petco Park.

Investigators also identified associated gang activity occurring at or near the Imperial Avenue Crack Market. For example, WCC members celebrate "set day," a gang holiday, every year on or around March 30 in recognition of their claim of the 30th Street corridor as WCC territory. On the evening of March 30, 2025, as captured in the photo above, WCC members and associates congregated at and around the Imperial Avenue Crack Market, effectively shutting off traffic through the area, and defied commands from San Diego Police Department officers to disperse.

The Imperial Avenue Crack Market was also a backdrop for violence. In one instance, on the evening of January 9, 2026, a car drove up to, and stopped in front of, the Imperial Avenue Crack Market. An occupant got out of the car and fired four or five gunshots at people congregating near the market, striking at least two. The occupant then returned to the car, which sped away.

"With these 30 indictments, the message is simple: San Diego is a paradise, but it's not a gangster's paradise," said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.

"Today's operation sends a clear message: the FBI will not allow violent gangs to threaten our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. "Crip street gangs and affiliated members have allegedly committed numerous violent crimes while trafficking drugs, harming and intimidating our neighborhoods. This takedown shows the power of determined investigative work and strong collaboration with the San Diego Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, and our federal, state and local partners. We united the full strength of our agencies to dismantle this violent network and ensure they face justice. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to keep San Diegans safe."

"Gang activity has no place in our city," said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. "Disrupting large-scale operations like this is what will keep San Diego one of the safest big cities in the nation. I am incredibly proud of the work being done by the Violent Crime Task Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office to dismantle this operation."

"The Chula Vista Police Department is proud to be part of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. This investigation highlights the importance of strong partnerships, as this criminal network impacted communities across San Diego County. We commend the coordinated efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in bringing those responsible to justice," said Captain Henry Martin of the Chula Vista Police Department. "The charges are the result of a year-long investigation that included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, undercover agents, and confidential sources."

"This investigation highlights the dedication and teamwork of our law enforcement partners in confronting organized drug trafficking in our city," said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. "HSI is proud to support this collaborative effort, targeting those responsible for fueling addiction and violence. By working together, we are helping to restore safety and peace of mind to the community and remain committed to supporting initiatives that disrupt criminal activity and protect San Diego's neighborhoods."

Many of the defendants charged in the conspiracy have significant criminal histories, underscoring how the market became a haven for repeat offenders.

At least 22 of the defendants have prior felony convictions, mostly for drug sales. Five defendants are presently subject to some form of post-conviction supervision. Rynell Baker, one of the alleged leaders of the Crack Market conspiracy, was convicted of first-degree murder in 1994, paroled in 2021, and discharged from parole in 2022. Four of the defendants- Elton Wilson, Roshawn Walls, Shawn King, and Alejandro McFadden-have prior federal convictions that qualify as serious drug felonies. At least three others also have prior federal criminal convictions-Darnell Butler and Jerry Davis (RICO conspiracy), and Kendall Evans (Felon in Possession of Ammunition).

Cash, cocaine base, and marijuana found in defendant Grady's car after he was arrested by police

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keith D. Ellison, Mario Peia, and David Kete.

DEFENDANTS Case Number 26CR2402

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), 841 (b) (1) (ii), 841 (b) (1) (iii)

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison; Mandatory Minimum: Ten years in prison; $10 million fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crimes Task Force - Gang Group (VCTF-GG), which includes investigators from the following agencies:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• San Diego Police Department
• Homeland Security Investigations
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• California Department of Corrections
• San Diego County Sheriff's Department
• Chula Vista Police Department
• National City Police Department
• U.S. Bureau of Prisons
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• San Diego County District Attorney's Office

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and INTERPOL, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.