SAN DIEGO (AP) – Authorities have arrested 19 people in connection with an international drug trafficking and illegal gambling ring.
The U.S. attorney’s office says arrests were made Wednesday in Southern California, Sacramento, Phoenix, Louisiana and Virginia.
Two other people were previously arrested, including Owen Hanson, who played football at the University of Southern California more than a decade ago.
They are among nearly two dozen people indicted this month in San Diego.
The federal indictment, unsealed Wednesday, alleges that Hanson ran an organization that sold drugs from heroin to meth, laundered millions of dollars through shell companies, operated illegal sports gambling websites, ran a network of bookies, and strong-armed debtors.
Operations allegedly were conducted in the U.S., Australia and other countries.
A message left for Hanson’s attorney wasn’t immediately returned.
