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]

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