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‘Gang of Thrones’ sweep nets cache of Ecstasy, Molly, Xanax ... and a baby alligator

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A federal and multistate criminal investigation dubbed “Gang of Thrones” didn’t uncover any dragons, but it did find a baby alligator — along with a trove of contraband, authorities say.

The 3- to 4-foot alligator was found at a home in San Jose, according to police. The juvenile apex predator was seized amid 34 search warrants served in Orange, Santa Clara and Alameda counties as well as one undisclosed location in Louisiana, San Jose police and FBI officials said Wednesday.

The entire sweep was dubbed “Operation Gang of Thrones” and targeted an underground gambling and drug ring operated out of Vietnamese cafes in the San Jose area, according to investigators.

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Though the animal was the most curious of the discoveries, a cache of loot and drugs also was found, officials said.

The inventory included 4,000 Ecstasy pills, 300 Xanax pills, 200 tablets of Molly, 600 pounds of marijuana and illegal steroids.

Five handguns, 69 gambling machines, body armor, jewels and more than $200,000 also were found across the business and residential properties.

Authorities arrested 23 people in the raid on counts that included extortion, public corruption, narcotics trafficking, assault, conspiracy and possessing illegal weapons.

A San Jose police officer also was arrested. Derrick Antonio, who has been with the department for nine years, was taken into custody on suspicion of five counts of unauthorized access to a computer and a felony count of accessory after the fact. Authorities say he provided confidential information to the crime ring.

Six people remain at large.

Joseph.serna@latimes.com

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For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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