Twenty-seven people have been arrested and charged by law enforcement officials as part of a “large-scale takedown” of Bay Area drug traffickers and gang members that was focused on two Peninsula cities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Most of the arrests were in the East Palo Alto and Menlo Park areas, and included the seizure of “significant quantities of money, drugs, firearms and several vehicles,” federal prosecutors said in the announcement.

The two-year investigation focused on groups that allegedly supplied drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine to gangs in those two cities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

More than 900 officers and agents made arrests and issued search warrants Tuesday, including FBI SWAT teams from San Francisco; Los Angeles; Sacramento; Portland, Ore.; Phoenix; and Las Vegas, and officers from the East Palo Alto and Menlo Park police, prosecutors said.

The arrests were hailed as a cooperative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement.
Menlo Park police Chief Bryan Roberts said the partnerships were “a force multiplier for our operations.”

The suspects were arraigned in federal court in San Francisco on Wednesday.

aburack@sfexaminer.com