In a definitive move against gang violence, five members of the "Murder Squad," a faction of the Salinas-based Norteño gang, have been sentenced to a total of 161 years in prison. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, these individuals were part of a larger criminal enterprise connected to the Nuestra Familia prison gang. They were actively involved in a spree of violence that ripped through the community of Salinas from 2015 through 2018.

The group was infamous for conducting over a dozen "hunts," a chilling campaign against perceived rivals, resulting in the death of 11 people and the injury of 17 others. The operation was militaristic, with assailants deploying convoy tactics and utilizing designated shooter and spotter vehicles, all coordinated through conference calls to execute their attacks. Many victims, tragically, were not gang members but simply matched vague profiles, Hispanic, bald, and or wearing blue, according to U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, who decried the gang's actions as terrorizing.

U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down the sentences. The defendants, Siaki Tavale, John Magat, Anthony Valdez, Anelu Tavale, and Mark Anthony Garcia, received 25 to 41 years in prison plus five years of supervised release. Their guilty pleas, which covered charges of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to murder in aid of racketeering, culminated in an extensive law enforcement effort involving HSI, the Salinas Police Department, the FBI, and the Monterey County District Attorney's Office to dismantle the gang's operations.

"The 'Murder Squad' killed for sport, terrorizing the city of Salinas and forever altering the lives of so many innocent members of our community," U.S. Attorney Ramsey stated, as per the U.S. Department of Justice. These strong words are paired with action, as HSI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King noted. He highlighted conviction and sentencing as a key victory in the ongoing battle against wanton violence and gang activity. The investigation's success illustrates the determination and collaborative spirit that law enforcement agencies must harness to serve justice and protect public safety, a sentiment King emphasized.

All convicted members were immediately taken into custody to begin their sentences, marking a close to one of Salinas's most violent gang-related chapters. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mari Overbeck and George Hageman prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Nina Burney, cementing the judiciary's stance that such heinous acts will lead to severe consequences.