SAN ANTONIO (KXAN) — Seven people affiliated with the San Antonio East Side Bloods gang have been arrested Thursday morning after a joint initiative by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the San Antonio NBC affiliate WOAI reports.

These arrests come from an anti-gang initiative one year in the making. Those arrested were connected to narcotics distribution in San Antonio’s east side with supply sources coming from Austin.

According to the arresting agencies, the suspects were charged with selling cocaine as both powder and crack, as well as methamphetamines disguised as ecstasy.

During the arrests, nine firearms were seized in addition to 20 kilograms of meth. The DEA said that some of the meth found was made to look like Easter candy.

“The anti-gang and anti-violence initiatives are the biggest social justice issue of our time,” said U.S. Attorney John F. Bash. “We need to have safe streets for children to grow up in if we don’t have that we are not going to close poverty gaps, we are not going to close achievement gaps.” 

This arrest was a joint cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, Homeland Security,  ATF, San Antonio PD, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Bexar County District Attorney, Texas DPS, Guadalupe Sheriff’s Office and Austin police.

“When federal state and local officials band together and share information and cooperate it is a signal to the folks on the other side of the thin blue line that we are now organized, we are an army and we are coming for you,” said Philip Cazan with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

The suspects were arrested in a 10-count indictment and each will face a minimum of five years to a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted.