Executive Summary
- A federal grand jury indicted nine alleged members of the Salinas Acosta Plaza gang on RICO charges.
- The indictment alleges involvement in 11 murders and 14 attempted murders since 2014.
- Defendants face charges including drug trafficking, armed robbery, and firebombing.
- Two defendants could face life in prison due to special sentencing factors.
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of California has indicted nine additional individuals alleged to be members of the Salinas Acosta Plaza gang, charging them with racketeering conspiracy involving homicide, robbery, and drug trafficking. The indictment, announced by the Department of Justice, marks a significant expansion of a federal crackdown on the organization, following a major enforcement operation initiated in 2024.
According to the new indictment filed on December 18, 2025, the defendants are accused of participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for 11 murders and 14 attempted murders between July 2014 and April 2024. Prosecutors allege that the group aimed its violence at perceived rival gang members, transient individuals, and former members who had left the gang. The charges encompass more than four dozen distinct crimes, including a firebombing of a Salinas apartment, armed robberies, firearms trafficking, and the distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
The newly indicted defendants were identified as Gustavo Garcia, Lorenzo Garcia Jr., Bertin Medrano, Jesus Saldana, Oscar Benitez, Carlos Gutierrez, Jesus Avalos Fernandez, Jose Aguilera, and Marco Sanchez. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian stated that for over a decade, the gang has "terrorized the residents of the Acosta Plaza townhomes and East Salinas more broadly." He emphasized that federal authorities intend to continue their efforts until community safety is restored.
Court filings indicate that special sentencing factors apply to defendants Lorenzo Garcia and Jesus Saldana regarding their alleged involvement in specific murders and attempted murders. If convicted, both could face life in prison, while the other defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
Salinas police reported that Jesus Saldana was arrested Tuesday morning during the execution of search warrants, while the remaining eight defendants were already in state or federal custody. This legal action follows "Operation Dead End," a 2024 investigation that previously resulted in charges against 11 other alleged members of the same faction.
Federal Prosecution Strategy
The expansion of this case highlights the continued use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to dismantle violent street gangs by treating them as ongoing criminal enterprises rather than prosecuting isolated incidents. By aggregating over a decade of violent acts into a single conspiracy case, federal prosecutors can leverage stricter sentencing guidelines and disrupt the gang’s generational hierarchy. It is important to note that all individuals named in the indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
