Is 'Operation Guacamole' Racist? SoCal Cops Target Latino Gang

By Dennis Romero Mon., Feb. 4 2013 at 1:18 PM

stu_spivack / Flickr

When we got a statement from the San Diego Sheriff's Department last week regarding a crackdown it called "Operation Guacamole," we automatically assumed that it was a reference to America's favorite dip in anticipation of Sunday's Super Bowl.

Nope. It's about a crackdown on ... a Latino gang. Yep.

Isn't that a little racist? What if they conducted "Operation Fettuccine" against an Italian American crime organization? Or "Operation Kung Pao" against an Asian American group?

Lt. Todd Richardson of the San Diego Sheriff's Department told us this:

There really is not much to it. As you probably know, Fallbrook is known as the "avocado capital" of the world. Based on that familiar nickname, about a year ago one of my Sergeants dubbed a similar operation, "operation guacamole". The tradition has simply continued.

Ah-hah! It's because Fallbrook is the avocado capital of America? So the latest enforcement against an Asian American gang was called "Operation Avacodo Roll?" No?

(No).

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Yeah, good old northern San Diego County, still home to racism if you ask us. (For a little history, see this story about a teenage white girl who claimed she was raped by Mexicans; cops rounded up every brown man they could find).

The city of Escondido, south of Fallbrook, has had a controversial traffic checkpoint program that critics say targets the undocumented (you know, the folks who pick those Avocados).

Anyway, "Operation Guacamole" was a success, sheriff's officials said.

Six people -- five adults and one juvenile who are reputed members of the Varrio Fallbrook Locos gang -- were arrested Thursday as part of a probation compliance check, cops stated:

During the operation about a half ounce of methamphetamine or "ICE," a couple grams of heroin, a pound of marijuana and 30 to 40 tablets of Hydrocodone were recovered.

Bad stuff. Bad people, allegedly. The sheriff's department:

Operation Guacamole in Fallbrook, CA via the San Diego Sheriff's Department. by dennisjromero

Among those arrested is a suspect from the recent attempted execution style shooting in DeLuz Canyon.

Glad they're off the street. But "Operation Guacamole?" From a government agency? In 2013? Really?

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

Fallbrook, Latinos, Operation Guacamole, racism, San Diego

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daniel.genseric

" ASIA FOR THE ASIANS, AFRICA FOR THE AFRICANS, WHITE COUNTRIES FOR EVERYBODY!"

You're just calling us 'racist a-holes' because we are White. Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-White.

No one says Africa needs more diversity.

No one says China needs more diversity.

No one says a Mexico needs more diversity.

They are already 100% diverse.

All white countries and only white countries always need to be More Diverse. White neighborhoods only stop needing to be More Diverse when there are no more White people left.

A call for Diversity is incitement to commit white genocide.

Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white

Jeff Wesolowski

I know some don't want to take things too seriously, but it is a valid question: should we be more upset about "Operation Guacamole" or the gangs they target? Which of the two is more damaging? Which should be written about more seriously? Certainly anything hinting at racism within the police should be investigated...but the name of the operation is less of a question than its intention. Did LA Weekly bother to investigate whether the intention of the Fallbrook police was "racist"? And Is it right for the LA Weekly to call northern San Diego County "home to racism"? Doesn't that paint with far too broad a brush? Who has the authority to draw the Racist Map? Certainly no annoying white people.

Robert Quevedo

If your going to use names like that. Keep it on the down low. Try operation clean sweep or operation take the streets back. Or just go all the way and say operation beaner.

Shane McLaren

You think it hasn't happened to just about every single immigrant group in the U.S. It is consistent for the last 150 years.

Palominha G. Perezcova

Not shocking at all. Not all gangs are of Mexican desent so what about the gangs members of other ethnic groups. Sounds like Guacamole singles one ethnic group in particular out.

Veronica Marie

@Mikel ...being a bit over-dramatic, over the top and ridiculous. C'mon

Gabriel Butler

Unsurprising. Native Americans were upset when they heard that Bin Laden's code name was "Geronimo".

Jonah Herrera

fat cops fat cops

Bill Gray

Yeah... I would picked something else for the operation name; without any ethnic or national connotations to it.

Mikel Satana

No. Maybe gangs shouldn't be around to begin with. Does it sound like a good idea to get them off the street? Should the cops use white gloves and call them sir and maam when the get arrested? C'mon.