Santa Ana Sweep Yields Drugs, Cars; 30 Arrested : Narcotics: The action by local police and federal agents is part of Operation Weed and Seed, an experimental program to fight crime and poverty.

SANTA ANA —  Police and federal agents arrested 30 people and seized drugs and nearly a dozen automobiles Friday as part of a daylong sweep in a drug-plagued neighborhood targeted for help in a federal anti-crime, anti-poverty program.

The arrests on the 2000 and 2100 blocks of West Myrtle Street represent what Santa Ana police said is the “initial enforcement effort” of Operation Weed and Seed. It is an experimental program that will pump $1 million into the city to help eradicate crime in a 10-block area bounded by Sullivan, Rait and 1st streets and McFadden Avenue.

“We wanted to show, within the early stages of Weed and Seed, to the people of the city that we can go out and impact some of the problems in the community,” said Santa Ana Police Lt. Robert Helton.

Most of those arrested were there either to buy drugs or sell them, Helton said.

A total of 28 police officers, agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Orange County Probation Department participated in the sweep. County and federal officials were not available for comment late Friday.

Helton declined to offer details of how the sweep was conducted, saying only: “We have a variety of different types of programs to use in that area.”

All but four of those arrested were men, Helton said, some of whom were from cities such as Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Anaheim and La Mirada. The ages of the suspects ranged from 21 to 56, Helton said.

The suspects were arrested on a variety of charges, ranging from possession of narcotics for sale to parole violation, Helton said. The majority of the suspects were taken to Orange County Jail in Santa Ana, and the remainder were cited and released, he said.

“We had so many arrests that two times during the time period we had to take breaks to get caught up” with the booking process, Helton said.

Heroin and cocaine were seized from several people, Helton said. He said investigators had not finished calculating the total amounts late Friday night. Much of the drugs were wrapped in small bindles, he said.

Officers also seized $644 from a man suspected of drug dealing. Eleven vehicles belonging to suspected drug dealers were seized along the street, Helton said.

Santa Ana was one of 16 cities nationwide chosen in April by the U.S. Justice Department for Operation Weed and Seed. As part of the local effort, federal, county and city law enforcement agencies will “weed” out crime with stepped-up enforcement. The “seed” portion includes follow-up from social service agencies to provide neighborhood support with job training and housing.

Helton declined to describe any possible future crackdown efforts.