A grand jury indicted 34 defendants after a months-long undercover operation targeting drug sales in East Village, District Attorney Summer Stephan announced. A take down operation last Thursday resulted in 23 arrests.
The cross-agency “Operation Street Sweeper” targeted illegal drug markets in East Village with the goal to dismantle the open sale of substances like fentanyl, meth and crack cocaine. Stephan praised the effort for improving public safety in the downtown neighborhood.
“This operation reflects a coordinated, proactive law enforcement response to the community we serve, with the goal of improving the quality of life in a downtown area that continues to face public safety challenges,” Stephan said. “It’s clear that the heightened drug sales are also the reason we have heightened drug overdoses in the same areas.”
In addition to the San Diego Police Department and the DA’s office, a Homeland Security team investigating fentanyl, known as the Fentanyl Abatement Suppression Team, spearheaded the effort with additional support from the U.S Attorney’s Office.
“FAST is a collaborative task force of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies focused on combatting the smuggling, distribution, and sale of deadly synthetic drugs in our communities,” said Kevin Murphy, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations. “Operation Street Sweeper demonstrates the success we can achieve when we work together to conduct impactful investigations and make our communities safer.”
The undercover investigation occurred in September and October 2025. Undercover officers made purchases and conducted surveillance of dealers selling synthetic drugs. Defendants face charges of sale and possession for sale of these controlled substances.
Law enforcement focused on illegal drug hot spots identified by San Diego Police, including 16th, 17th, K and C streets, Imperial Avenue and Broadway. They aimed to disrupt distribution and reduce other crime in the neighborhood.
Police chief Scott Wahl said East Village residents had long asked for more drug-related enforcement.
“With this operation, we targeted open drug use and narcotic sales occurring in East Village, something children and families walked by every day. With our law enforcement partners, we were able to have a major impact on the quality of life in downtown San Diego,” Wahl said.
As home to Petco Park, East Village sees millions of visitors each year. For decades, homeless service providers concentrated in East Village after many moved during Gaslamp revitalization efforts. Encampments surrounded the over-full shelters amid San Diego’s intransigent homeless problems.
Other efforts to clean up the neighborhood have taken place in recent years too, from enforcement of Mayor Todd Gloria’s camping ban to a new cleaning crew for the streets around Petco Park funded primarily by local businesses.
“To the people who live and work downtown: The adults are back in charge,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting three additional suspects connected to the case.
Deputy District Attorneys Lauren Wake and Edith Leon, both in the major narcotics division, presented the evidence to the grand jury that resulted in 34 indictments.
“The East Village community deserves to be safe and not have their families subjected to open drug dealing and associated crime,” Stephan said.
