Lefty LA councilmember cries foul over reports Skid Row drug takedown blocking homeless from their tents

A massive drug bust on Skid Row has sparked a war of words between a Los Angeles City Council member and the city’s top federal prosecutor.Dozens of FBI agents and cops descended on the notorious downtown neighborhood Thursday as part of a sweeping crackdown on the sale of fentanyl, meth, cocaine and PCP.The California Post was on the scene as investigators seized drugs, guns, cash and luxury cars, making dozens of arrests in a probe that exposed the alleged tricks dealers used to hide their deadly trade — including disguises, storefronts and sidewalk tents.But Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, whose District 14 includes Skid Row, blasted the operation, claiming homeless residents were prevented from returning to their tents to retrieve their belongings, medication and other necessities.“Law enforcement has described the operation in Skid Row as targeting drug trafficking.But that doesn’t remove the responsibility to protect residents’ rights and well-being,” Jurado wrote on social media.“Residents have reported being kept from returning to their tents, obtaining their belongings, accessing essential medication, and reaching the services they depend on every day to survive.”Jurado argued that Skid Row is home to one of the city’s largest populations of “seniors, people with disabilities, and Black residents,” and said its residents deserve the same treatment as people in any other Los Angeles neighborhood.“But we’ve continued to treat it as the afterthought of our policies,” the councilmember wrote.

“Living in a neighborhood that society wrote off does not make you a criminal.”“It does not make you unworthy of city services, mental health, and representation from your government.” The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.

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