ESCONDIDO — An 18-month joint operation between local and federal law enforcement agencies resulted in the arrest of 23 individuals on various weapons and drug charges and the seizure of more than 100 firearms, a majority of them being privately-made or “ghost guns,” according to an Oct. 25 release.
The Escondido Police Department and the San Diego field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced the seizure of 113 firearms during the investigation. Most of the weapons — including 71 pistols, six rifles, 33 machine guns (including 19 fully-automatic conversion kits), two shotguns, and a silencer — were privately-made firearms known as “ghost guns.”
The joint operation, “Operation Devil’s Den,” targeted some of the most violent street gangs in Escondido, including the Diablos, Westside and Florencia 13.
Of the 23 arrests, the majority were from Escondido (18), with two from Coachella Valley, one from San Diego and two unnamed suspects.
“The Escondido Police Department places a high priority on combating violent crime and keeping our community safe,” said Escondido Police Interim Chief David Cramer. “An integral part of that endeavor is the partnerships we maintain with other law enforcement agencies. We are proud of the collaboration with our federal partners to keep dangerous and illegal weapons out of the hands of prohibited persons.”
Operation Devil’s Den specifically targeted convicted felons for illegal firearm production and sales without a federal firearms license. Law enforcement also seized 19 machine gun conversion kits (commonly referred to as “switches” and “drop-in auto sears)” to convert semi-automatic pistols and rifles into fully-automatic weapons.
In addition to nearly two dozen arrests and more than 100 firearms, the investigation also seized 15.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 115 grams of fentanyl, 20 grams of ecstasy and five grams of cocaine.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting approximately one-third of the criminal cases resulting from Operation Devil’s Den. The DA’s Office has reported an uptick in gang-related cases, which have increased since 2020. Prosecutors reported 368 gang-related cases in 2020, which ballooned to 465 cases the following year.
The joint investigation also involved 38 controlled purchases of firearms and narcotics using undercover agents, police officers and confidential informants. Investigative techniques utilized in Operation Devil’s Den included extensive surveillance, which yielded key evidence in the capture of an individual suspected of attempted murder.
“This joint investigation is another exemplary illustration of ATF’s commitment to creating safer communities,” said Monique Villages, ATF Los Angeles Field Division’s special agent in charge. “ATF is working nonstop with our local law enforcement partners to disrupt the private manufacturing of firearms and machine gun conversion devices. What ATF saw 10 years ago with the emergence of the ghost gun phenomena, is now what ATF is seeing with the emergence of machine gun conversion kits. The same criminals making and trafficking their own firearms are some of the same criminals trafficking the conversion devices.”
In 2021, the ATF seized 1,576 machine gun conversion devices through the course of its own investigations — a 438% increase from 2020.
From Jan. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2021, law enforcement agencies reported confiscating 45,240 suspected ghost guns at crime scenes nationwide, including firearms associated with 629 homicides or attempted homicides, according to numbers reported to the ATF. During the five-year timeframe, the number of recovered ghost guns has increased from 1,758 in 2016 to 19,344 in 2021.
“This operation demonstrates that we continue to grapple with an increase in gang- motivated shootings and the ongoing proliferation of ‘ghost guns’– firearms that are usually untraceable,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “The increase in our prosecutions paint a disturbing picture of gang violence on the rise in the county. We will continue to collaborate and cooperate with our law enforcement partners in the North County — and across San Diego County — to address gang violence through prosecution and prevention.”
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