Los Angeles prosecutors and police have dismantled what authorities describe as a horrific sex trafficking operation run by the notorious Hoover Criminals gang, charging 25 alleged traffickers with exploiting women and girls—including victims as young as 14—along a notorious stretch of South Los Angeles roadway known locally as "the Blade."
Background
The Hoover Criminals originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, breaking away from the Crips to become one of the largest and most powerful street gangs in Los Angeles. During the crack epidemic of the 1980s, the gang expanded into narcotics and prostitution, operating under an "EBK" (Everybody Killer) mentality that places them in conflict with both Bloods and Crips factions.
The gang allegedly built a thriving sex trafficking enterprise along the Figueroa Corridor, where women and young girls were forced to walk sidewalks to attract johns before being funneled to seedy motels, authorities said. Sex was sold for as little as $40, with proceeds split with motel front desk operators.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell described how Hoover recruiters target victims who "have no one left to protect them."
"They lure young children with promises of money, expensive clothes, affection, and a place to sleep," McDonnell said. "Then they trap them through violence, intimidation, addiction, and fear."
Many victims come from broken homes, the chief noted, and recruiters often target girls in foster care systems who lack family support networks.
The Investigation
Wednesday's coordinated takedown—dubbed Operation Broken Blade—involved the Los Angeles Police Department, U.S. District Attorney's Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. At least 10 alleged prostitution kingpins were arrested, with authorities identifying over 50 victims connected to the conspiracy.
Prosecutors allege the traffickers maintained control through relentless physical and psychological abuse. Court documents reveal disturbing details of violence allegedly inflicted on victims.
According to charging papers, an alleged Hoover pimp named Cameron Lockett bit "a chunk" out of one victim's cheek so severely that she required stitches. The gash, Los Angeles District Attorney Bill Essayli said, "went down to the cartilage." After the attack, Lockett gave the girl Percocet for pain and transported her to an emergency room, prosecutors allege. He reportedly photographed the wound and texted it to fellow alleged gang member Jared Evans.
Psychological control was maintained through branding, authorities said. An accused Hoover madam named Amaya Armstead, known on the streets as "Lady Duck," allegedly had her nickname tattooed onto the backsides of several victims.
"That's one of the methods of coercion and force," said Eddy Wang, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles. "They're branding them as their property—that they are the sole individual that is able to profit from them."
Court documents also allege that pimp Caleed Mouton compelled a 16-year-old victim to obtain an abortion, "warning her that after the procedure she would be bleeding." After the procedure, Mouton allegedly ordered the girl to engage in commercial sex work the same day and threatened to "fire" her if she refused.
Key Takeaways
- The Hoover Criminals gang, one of LA's largest street gangs founded in the late 1960s, allegedly ran a massive sex trafficking operation on the Figueroa Corridor ("the Blade")
- Operation Broken Blade resulted in 25 arrests and the identification of over 50 victims, some as young as 14 years old
- Alleged tactics included branding victims with tattoos, forcing abortions, and extreme physical violence including biting off flesh
- Victims were reportedly recruited from foster homes and broken families through promises of money and protection before being trapped through violence and addiction
- The investigation involved LAPD, U.S. District Attorney's Office, and Homeland Security Investigations working jointly
What's Next
Prosecutors say more arrests are expected as the investigation continues. Authorities have vowed to continue their efforts to clear the Blade of sex trafficking operations.
"We've identified over 50 victims as part of this conspiracy, and our work keeps going," DA Essayli said. "We're not gonna stop."
The accused—Cameron Lockett, Amaya Armstead (aka Lady Duck), Caleed Mouton, and others—are being processed at the federal Roybal building in Los Angeles. Court dates have not yet been set.