Nine alleged members of a street gang based in Salinas were indicted by a federal grand jury on racketeering conspiracy charges, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office Northern District of California announced details of the indictment, which was filed on Dec. 18, 2025 and unsealed Tuesday.

"For more than a decade, this gang has terrorized the residents of the Acosta Plaza townhomes and East Salinas more broadly.  The violent criminal activity that defendants have been charged with is appalling and unacceptable," U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said in a statement. "We will not stop until the residents of this community feel safe and secure in their homes."

Prosecutors identified the defendants as 26-year-old Gustavo Garcia aka "Tatis", 32-year-old Lorenzo Garcia Jr. aka "Chito", 32-year-old Bertin Medrano aka "Dre", 22-year-old Jesus Saldana aka "D Rose", 27-year-old Oscar Benitez aka "Sideshow", 19-year-old Carlos Gutierrez aka "Black Carlos", 27-year-old Jesus Avalos Fernandez aka "Chuchin", 26-year-old Jose Aguilera aka "Jay" and 29-year-old Marco Sancez aka "Cooks".

All nine defendants were charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy and are alleged members of the Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteños, also known as SAP. Prosecutors said the gang originated in a townhome complex of the same name in the 1990s and is a clique within the larger collection of Norteño criminal street gangs.

Gustavo Garcia, Lorenzo Garcia and Medrano were among 11 alleged gang members who were originally indicted in April 2024, prosecutors said.

Salinas police said Saldana was arrested in a law enforcement operation Tuesday morning and was arraigned in federal district court Tuesday afternoon. The other suspects were already in federal or state custody.

According to the superseding indictment, the suspects are accused of more than four dozen crimes dating back to 2009, including murders, attempted murders, robberies, shootings and a firebombing of an apartment in Salinas. The suspects are also accused of distributing drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis.

Prosecutors said all suspects face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted on the racketeering conspiracy charge.

Lorenzo Garcia faces special sentencing factors for his alleged role in a murder on July 19, 2014, while Saldana also faces special sentencing factors for his alleged role in a Jan. 23, 2023 attempted murder of two people. If convicted, Lorenzo Garcia and Saldana each face a maximum sentence of life in prison.