Nine men from Salinas have been indicted on 73 counts by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges including murder, armed bank robbery and attempted murder. Eight of the men, aged between 24 and 36 years old, are alleged Norteño members. The ninth is an alleged associate of the gang.
Over the course of two years, the Department of Justice alleges the defendants committed 12 murders, along with seven attempted murders and seven bank robberies.
One of the murders is purported to have taken place on the campus of Alisal High School in Salinas. The banks robberies are said to have been committed in Salinas, Watsonville and San Jose. There is also an alleged armed robbery at a jewelry store in Gilroy.
The indictment comes after “Operation Daybreak,” a multi-year investigation by the Salinas Police Department with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“This case demonstrates what we have known for many years; that very few individuals drive the majority of violence in Salinas,” Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin said in a statement. “It should also serve to remind us all that the role of prevention and intervention efforts cannot be overlooked and in fact must be strengthened further to ensure other young men never think it's OK to shoot another."
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