Alleged gang member arrested in yearslong ‘Operation Bear Trap’ targeting dozens in Tahoe area
State and federal law enforcement arrested an alleged Sureno gang member in South Lake Tahoe on Monday as part of a yearslong operation resulting in dozens of arrests of suspects accused selling drugs and weapons, authorities said.
A 29-year-old man is accused of selling undercover FBI agents narcotics, guns and weapons parts amid Operation Bear Trap, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department said in a news release. The suspect, a convicted felon, was prohibited from having guns and ammunition, according to the news release.
Officers said they found cocaine, a short-barreled AR-15 style rifle, a Glock handgun with an illegal 30 round magazine and weapons parts while serving a search and arrest warrant at the suspect’s residence, in the 2500 block of Chris Avenue. He was booked into jail Monday, records show.
The suspect was booked into jail on suspicion of selling cocaine, selling meth, transporting machine guns, selling machine guns and illegally owning a firearm and ammunition, police said. He is ineligible for bail.
Operation Bear Trap has netted three alleged Sureno gang members in the Lake Tahoe Basin and resulted in 76 total arrests, the news release said.
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, El Dorado District Attorney’s Office, FBI, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Carson City Sheriff’s Office contributed to the investigation.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 5:39 PM.