LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities arrested 10 defendants, including six alleged members or associates of the Hoover Criminal Gang and the manager of a South Los Angeles motel, in a major human trafficking operation targeting the Figueroa Corridor, officials announced Wednesday.
The arrests stem from a 65-count superseding indictment alleging that from February 2021 through June 2026, members of the Hoover gang operated a large-scale sex trafficking enterprise along the Figueroa Corridor, exploiting 51 victims, including minors.
Defendants Charged
The six alleged Hoover Criminal Gang members charged are:
- Cameron Lockett, 23, of Anaheim
- Caleed Mouton, 26, of South Los Angeles
- Nakhali Miller, 30, of South Los Angeles
- Jorge Melendez, 23, of South Los Angeles
- Mauricio Ulloa-Franco Jr., 23, of Palmdale
- Lagrane Lenox, 30, of Compton
Also charged is Mukeshkumar Rambhai Ahir, 45, manager of the Stadium Inn & Spas motel in South Los Angeles. Prosecutors allege Ahir financially benefited from the trafficking operation by depositing more than $64,500 in trafficking proceeds and structuring cash deposits to avoid federal reporting requirements.
Additional Alleged Traffickers
Federal prosecutors also unsealed separate indictments against three additional alleged traffickers:
- Kenny Ray Mann, 38, of Lynwood, accused of trafficking two minors, ages 16 and 17, and continuing to exploit one victim into adulthood.
- Kylan Young, 23, of Buena Park, accused of trafficking a 15-year-old girl.
- Dejon MacDonald Williams, 23, of South Los Angeles, accused of trafficking three victims, including two minors, ages 16 and 17, and one adult.
If convicted, several defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years in federal prison, with maximum penalties of life imprisonment.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Allegations
Prosecutors allege the organization targeted vulnerable girls and young women, including runaways and foster youth, recruiting them through social media and false promises before using violence, intimidation, drugs and coercion to force them into commercial sex.
According to the indictment, gang members worked together by renting motel rooms, transporting victims, creating online advertisements, collecting proceeds and disciplining victims who failed to meet quotas. Victims allegedly faced beatings, branding, humiliation, and the withholding of food, drugs or affection.
The 11 defendants originally charged in 2025 have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial on March 18, 2027.
Quick Facts
- 10 defendants arrested in a federal human trafficking operation.
- Six alleged Hoover Criminal Gang members charged.
- South L.A. motel manager accused of laundering trafficking proceeds.
- 65-count superseding indictment alleges crimes from 2021 to 2026.
- 51 victims identified in the investigation.
- Charges include sex trafficking of minors and adults, racketeering, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
- Some defendants face 15 years to life in federal prison if convicted.