Official: At least 7 L.A. County sheriff's deputies arrested

LOS ANGELES - At least seven current and former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have been arrested by the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation of inmate abuse in the nation's largest jail system.

A law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the arrests who wasn't authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity confirmed the arrests were made Monday by federal agents.

Federal authorities called a news conference Monday afternoon to announce criminal corruption and civil rights charges filed in the case.

The FBI has been investigating allegations of excessive force and other misconduct at the county's jails since at least 2011.

The Los Angeles Times reports the arrests were made as part of an investigation into the abuse of an FBI informant at the center of the probe.

More than a dozen arrests are expected in the probe, according to the paper.

A Sheriff's Department spokesman says he's aware of an indictment but referred calls to the FBI.