U.S. federal officials have announced a high-profile indictment involving a drug ring operating around the MacArthur Park area in Los Angeles, which has been considered a crime and drug hotspot for years.

According to investigation records, Mallaly Moreno-Lopez and her boyfriend, Jackson Tarfur, are accused of running a fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution network through several shops along Alvarado Street, directly across from MacArthur Park.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted simultaneous searches at multiple locations on May 6, including the couple's home in South Los Angeles. The operation led to nearly 40 arrests and the seizure of a large quantity of drugs valued at millions of dollars.

The two suspects now face federal charges related to drug possession and distribution, with potential sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison.

Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli stated that investigators repeatedly observed Moreno-Lopez and Tarfur personally transporting drugs to shops for distribution to street-level dealers.

Authorities also allege the couple has ties to the 18th Street gang—a transnational criminal organization notorious for drug trafficking, extortion, and murder. Investigation records indicate that Moreno-Lopez was born into a family with ties to this gang, and her parents remain active members of the organization.

In one surveillance instance, investigators said they witnessed the couple meeting an accomplice at a Food4Less supermarket to hand over a brown Nike bag containing nearly 1,000 grams of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Officials also released surveillance footage showing Moreno-Lopez using a shopping cart to transport large paper bags containing drugs into a shop.

When the DEA raided the home on May 6, the suspects allegedly tried to destroy evidence by stuffing fentanyl packages into the toilet to flush them.

Simultaneously, another search at a mansion in Calabasas uncovered nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl, equivalent to approximately 190,000 doses with an estimated street value of $10 million.

A total of 25 drug distribution hubs were targeted in the operation, and 39 people have been arrested.