An East Village "open-air drug market" that prosecutors say operated under gang control is the subject of grand jury indictments returned this week against 51 people for crimes ranging from drug sales to weapons offenses.
The charges stem from an investigation into the area surrounding 16th and K streets, where officials say police were called to respond around 56,000 times over a period of two years, nearly 6,200 of which were for "violent acts" such as shootings, stabbings and assaults.
The San Diego County District Attorney's Office, which announced the indictments on Thursday, said gang members who ran the drug market also conducted countersurveillance on law enforcement officers.
A year-long operation into the market involved undercover officers purchasing drugs from dealers working in the area and a grand jury was presented with more than three weeks worth of evidence regarding widespread drug sales that the D.A.'s Office said occurred "at all times of day or night."
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"Calls for service and resident complaints in this area showed that something had to be done," San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said. "This operation represents more than a year of dedicated work by investigators and prosecutors to disrupt the history of drugs and violence that plagued the East Village community ... will keep a close watch on this area to maintain the great progress we've made."
The D.A.'s Office said 27 of the defendants were arrested during a day-long sweep on Tuesday involving more than 100 officers. If convicted, some defendants face up to one year in prison, whereas others face life imprisonment, depending on their charges and criminal histories.
"I refuse to allow San Diego streets to turn into open-air drug markets controlled by gangs like you see in other areas of the country," San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said, adding, "When a criminal street gang controls an entire neighborhood and specifically a known intersection, every person who drives, walks, does business or runs errands in the area is victimized."
