The Los Angeles Port Police has announced significant breakthroughs in multiple regional criminal investigations, underscoring the agency’s long-standing commitment to supporting federal and local partners through specialised Task Force Officers. Port Police Officers play a critical role in combating narcotics trafficking, precursor chemical importation, illegal manufacturing operations, and large-scale cargo theft investigations throughout the region.
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In January 2026, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Field Division (NYFD) and the DEA Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Group 48 initiated a joint investigation into a Sinaloa Cartel drug trafficking organisation operating in the Los Angeles area. Over a six‑month period, the collaborative effort resulted in the seizure of 20,000 fentanyl pills and 20 pounds of methamphetamine through confidential investigative methods.
Investigators later used ground surveillance, electronic monitoring, and aerial reconnaissance to locate a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operating in a remote desert area of Los Angeles County.
On July 28, HIDTA 48, DEA Special Response Team, DEA Clandestine Laboratory Unit, Los Angeles Port Police, Hawthorne Police Department, and El Segundo Police Department executed a search warrant on the suspected methamphetamine production site. The operation resulted in the seizure of 1,378 pounds of methamphetamine – both crystal and highly condensed liquid – valued at approximately USD12.5 million. Investigators also recovered roughly USD80,000 in US currency, and three Mexican nationals responsible for manufacturing the narcotics were taken into custody.
This major seizure follows another successful narcotics investigation in Riverside County, where officers recovered 119 kilograms of cocaine, two firearms, and identified three suspects. In a separate commercial crimes operation, Cargo Theft Task Force Officers dismantled a sophisticated theft ring responsible for stealing more than USD2 million in Nike merchandise. That investigation led to felony indictments against 12 individuals.
“These operations highlight the dedication, expertise, and collaborative strength of our Task Force Officers,” said Los Angeles Port Police Capt. Daniel Cobos. “Their work continues to make a measurable impact on regional safety, drug trafficking suppression, and protection of commercial supply chains.”
The Los Angeles Port Police force is a specialised law enforcement agency that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to protect the Port of Los Angeles from threats whether by land, sea, air or cyberspace. Comprised of more than 300 sworn officers and civilian personnel, the force’s jurisdiction spans 7,500 acres along 43 miles of waterfront.