Nine of the defendants are members of the Viet Boyz gang,
Two sets of indictments, returned by a grand jury Jan. 8 and unsealed Friday, allege drug-related crimes from October 2004 through August 2007.
Many of the charges involve possession or distribution of the drug MDMA, which goes by the street name ecstasy. Although ecstasy use can be fatal, it often gets passed around as a party drug, authorities say.
Hinshaw said the indictments stem from a sheriff's investigation that began about three years ago. Because of the investigation's wide scope and the need for more resources, sheriff's investigators joined with a Drug Enforcement Administration task force, Hinshaw said. Wichita police also assisted.
The arrests began Thursday, and as of Friday afternoon, about 18 of the 27 defendants had been arrested, Hinshaw said.
They are expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Wichita on Monday.
The investigation involved the use of wiretaps and undercover drug purchases, Cross said. The undercover buys began in late 2004, U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren said.
One of the indictments, 30 pages long and covering 94 counts, names 20 defendants on charges including possession with intent to distribute ecstasy, possessing a firearm to further drug trafficking and unlawful use of a telephone for drug trafficking.
A second indictment, 15 pages long and with 36 counts, names seven defendants on such charges as ecstasy possession or distribution and charges involving cocaine and marijuana.
Most of those charged are in their 20s and live in Wichita. But they also include residents of Newton, Lawrence, Atlanta, Ga., and Garland and Lubbock, Texas, the U.S. attorney's office said.
According to the 2003 Kansas Drug Threat Assessment by the National Drug Intelligence Center, "Asian Boyz, Buc Lao Killers, Krazy Boyz, and Viet Boyz distribute MDMA at the retail level in Wichita."
The report said that most ecstasy in Kansas is made in the Netherlands and Belgium and transported by traffickers on commercial aircraft and then by private vehicles.
According to the report, "MDMA is generally taken orally in tablet or capsule form. MDMA abuse is a concern among law enforcement and public health agencies in the state because the drug can cause psychological problems similar to those associated with methamphetamine and cocaine abuse, including confusion, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety and paranoia."
The drug also can lead to kidney failure, strokes, seizures and heart attacks, the report said.
The crimes alleged in the indictments can lead to maximum penalties of up to 40 years in prison and fines of up to $4 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
The indictments call for the forfeiture of some defendants' property "obtained directly or indirectly" from the alleged crimes.
The indictments specifically call for forfeiture of a 2004 BMW 525I, a 1998 Lexus and a 1996 Honda CX.