Six alleged gang members arrested in multi-city bust.

Police arrested six people throughout the Monterey Peninsula in a multi-agency operation on Wednesday to quell an upswing in recent gang violence.

According to a press release from the Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team (PRVNT), police served five search warrants to eight wanted suspects in Monterey, Seaside, Marina, and Freedom. By Wednesday evening, they had arrested the following:

+ 29-year-old Kenneth Caldwell was charged with possession of marijuana for sale, destruction of evidence, gun registration omission and gang enhancements.

+ 26-year-old Hassan Beyah was charged with battery likely to produce great bodily injury and gang enhancements.

+ 22-year-old Joseph Rios was charged with violation of probation.

+ 22-year-old Charles Black was charged with possession of marijuana for sale and dissuading a witness.

+ 21-year-old Ronald Tinsley was charged with battery likely to produce great bodily injury and gang enhancements.

+ 23-year-old Terence Mathews was charged with battery likely to produce great bodily injury and gang enhancements.

Police have warrants for the arrest of 22-year-old Dexter Barnett and 22-year-old Frank James. Both men are wanted on charges of battery likely to produce great bodily injury and gang enhancements.

During the searches, officers found 8.6 ounces of marijuana, $5,100, body armor, one handgun and ammunition.

Marina Police Cmdr. Roberto Filice says the operation was in response to several shootings and fights in the aftermath of 19-year-old Khaleel Johnson’s murder in Sand City on March 15 by several alleged Norteno gang members. One man was arrested for allegedly shooting Johnson.

PRVNT was assisted by Pacific Grove, Seaside, Marina, Monterey, CSUMB, Sand City, and Carmel Police Departments, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Homeland Security Investigations, Monterey County Probation, Monterey’s County District Attorney’s Office, and California Highway Patrol.