Small Town Faces Surge in Gang Activity as Drug Cartels Gain Foothold

After the past 4-years with an open southern border drug cartels and gangs have increased thier presence in the Yakima valley according to local authorities.

OVER THE LAST 40-YEARS YAKIMA HAS SEEN A BIG GROWTH IN GANGS

40-years ago Yakima didn't face the gang problems it faces today. Some of the early gangs appeared in the 1980s and 1990s and they were tied to drug trade. The Bloods and Crips were the two most well-known dangerous gangs that were born in Los Angeles eventually making their way to Yakima, causing chaos and violent shootings.

CARTELS ARE NOW IN POWER AND OPERATING IN THE VALLEY

Today, according to the DEA with the recent open southern border cartels moved in and increased the amount of drugs they transport over the border and gained a foothold on power. In fact Federal authorities say Mexican drug cartels are now operating in all 50 states including 4 cities in the Yakima Valley. Today Yakima Police say the most active gangs are the Lower Valley Locos (LVL) and Surenos but there's also reports that MS-13 gang members are active in the area.

TWO CARTELS HAVE FLOODED THE VALLEY WITH FENTANYL

Officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration say two cartels, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have pushed aside all other drug trafficking competition.

“The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” says DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

SO WHERE ARE THE CARTELS AND GANGS OPERATING IN YAKIMA?

In the Yakima Valley, DEA officials say the powerful drug cartels are now operating in the cities of Yakima, Selah, Toppenish and Sunnyside. Authorities say large quantities of drugs come directly from the Mexican border. The drugs are then broken up and distributed throughout the northwest. Yakima authorities estimate some 600 criminal street gang members live and operate in the valley.

IT'S NOT JUST DRUGS THAT ARE BEING DEALT IN THE VALLEY

The cartels not only deal in illegal drugs but also illegal guns. In fact in 2022 Yakima authorities siezed what they describe as a large weapons cache from a transnational crime organization trying to establish itself in Yakima. Today the fight against gangs continues with the most recent gang shootings reported in Sunnyside.