Dozens of suspected white supremacist gang members arrested in Los Angeles area following domestic terrorism investigation

() –– A total of 68 suspected gang members with white supremacist ties were charged in the Los Angeles area on Wednesday in a large-scale operation, state prosecutors said.

Members of the Peckerwoods gang and their allies were charged in a sweeping federal indictment, which included allegations of racketeering, firearms trafficking, drug trafficking and financial fraud, according to officials.

The federal charges announced Wednesday did not include accusations of an imminent planned attack, but Martin Estrada, the state attorney for the Central District of California, said: “This group has the mission of planning attacks against racial, ethnic and religious minorities (…) No “We are going to wait for the next tragedy to take action.”

More than 40 of the alleged members and allies of the Peckerwoods gang were arrested Wednesday or already in custody in what was “one of the largest raids in the history of the Department of Justice against a violent extremist, white supremacist and neo-Nazi organization.” Estrada said.

The arrests involved several federal and local tactical law enforcement officers, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force and resources brought in from the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, a source previously told .

The Peckerwoods gang is based in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and is “essentially a local branch of the Aryan Brotherhood,” said Akil Davis, FBI assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles field office. They engage in a wide variety of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, fraud, violence and identity theft, the state attorney said.

By allying themselves with the Aryan Brotherhood, local gang members can commit various crimes abroad and give money to their imprisoned counterparts, Estrada said. The gang also benefits from the Brotherhood’s alliance with the Mexican mafia, which gives them “greater freedom to commit crimes abroad,” Estrada added.

“What really sets them apart, what defines them, is their hatred and animosity toward racial, ethnic and religious minorities,” Estrada said.

A previously arrested member made online threats against Jews and hate messages were found in his home, Estrada detailed.

The gang adopts the name Peckerwoods, which Estrada described as a derogatory name previously used for Caucasians in the prison system.

The group displays its affiliation with neo-Nazi ideology through tattoos, clothing and on social media, and collects Nazi paraphernalia, including swastikas and Confederate flags, Estrada said.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized large quantities of illegal firearms, “bomb-making components” and dozens of pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin, authorities said.

If convicted of the charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, according to authorities.