The operation, executed at approximately 3 a.m. on April 2, targeted what police described as an ongoing gun trafficking network associated with the gang. Warrants were served simultaneously at 10 locations spanning multiple jurisdictions across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
“This multi-agency effort represents our continued commitment to disrupting gun trafficking networks and the violent criminal activity they support,” said Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris in a statement issued through the department. “The professionalism and collaboration among all participating agencies were essential to the safe and successful execution of this complex operation.”
The raid was spearheaded by the Pasadena Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, which was formed in May 2023 to combat street-level criminal activity. The unit was supported by tactical teams from nine partner agencies: the Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Burbank, El Monte, Irwindale, and Upland police departments, as well as the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force.
During the simultaneous service of the search warrants, officers reportedly seized seven handguns and one AK-style rifle.
The names, ages, and specific charges of the eight individuals arrested were not immediately released by authorities.
The Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods (PDL) is a primarily African-American street gang active on the west side of Pasadena, with an estimated membership of up to 300.
Federal authorities have previously described the PDL as a “violent criminal enterprise that has existed since the 1970s and operates in and around Pasadena and the Antelope Valley.”
The gang is a subset of the Los Angeles-based Denver Lane Bloods.
PDL’s territory is believed to run along Fair Oaks Avenue, from West Mountain View Street to East Orange Grove Boulevard, centered around Robinson Park. The PDL has also expanded into adjacent Altadena, where the subset is known as the Altadena Denver Lanes (ADL).
The gang has been the subject of intense law enforcement scrutiny in recent years.
In May, three alleged PDL members were indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in two murders and an attempted murder committed during a single night in Lancaster in June 2024.
Federal court records allege that PDL engages in racketeering activities, including murder, robbery, and money laundering, to “enhance the power and influence” of the gang.
The Pasadena Police Department noted that the Thursday morning raids were part of an “ongoing investigation into gun trafficking activity associated with the gang.”
The department’s Street Crimes Unit has been active in weapons recovery since its inception. In 2024 alone, the unit recovered 43 firearms and made 124 gang and narcotics-related arrests, according to the department’s annual review.
The unit was formed approximately two and a half years after the department disbanded its dedicated Gang Intelligence Unit in February 2020.
The U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, has participated in multiple prior Pasadena Police Department Street Crimes Unit operations, including a March 2024 multi-location raid targeting a PDL-affiliated firearms dealer.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information regarding the gun trafficking network or the gang’s activities is encouraged to contact the Pasadena Police Department.
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