Federal authorities announced Wednesday at least seven more arrests and the seizure of thousands of illegal pills at MacArthur Park amid an ongoing effort to address drug use and sales in the area.

Operation MacArthur Park

The operation involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles Police Department started around 1:30 p.m., according to the DEA. The agency said three arrests were for felony narcotic sales and four were for warrants, while five people received misdemeanors for quality-of-life violations.

More than $10,000 in cash was also seized, the DEA said. Wednesday’s action was part of the ongoing “Operation MacArthur Park,” which officials said last week was in its third phase.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the operation’s first phase focused on dismantling the leadership of the 18th Street gang, while the second phase targeted drug dealers and suppliers around the park west of downtown Los Angeles.

“Phase three will be a consistent law enforcement presence in the park to enforce state law, which prohibits people from being under the influence of narcotics and possessing drugs with the intent to use them,” he said last Thursday.

In May, an operation resulted in more than a dozen arrests, including two people believed by law enforcement to be the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the park, according to the Department of Justice.

Community complaints about drug dealing and violent crime in the area led to efforts from the city of Los Angeles and the LAPD in 2025, when extra patrols were assigned to the park and neighborhood.

In early 2025, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said extra patrols had helped reduce reports of violent crime in the area. Mayor Karen Bass said the city’s homeless and mental health response teams were effective in reducing the number of encampments and open drug use.

Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.