A two-day, valley-wide crackdown on the Nuestra Familia gang led to eight arrests on federal drug trafficking charges – including one in Turlock.
Maximilano Sanchez, aka Max, 38, of Turlock was arrested following a Wednesday morning raid on apartments at the corner of Canal Drive and Geer Road. The operation shut down traffic on Canal Drive for nearly an hour as camouflaged, heavily-armed SWAT and FBI officials served a federal search warrant.
“This Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force operation exemplifies how multi-jurisdictional, collaborative FBI Safe Streets Task Forces successfully investigate and disrupt violent criminal gang activity in our communities,” said Herbert M. Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento FBI. “Takedowns such as the effort in Modesto and Turlock today demonstrate the commitment of the FBI and its task force partners to improving of the quality of life in our communities by removing individuals who traffic dangerous drugs and commit violent crimes from our streets.”
Sanchez and six other alleged Nuestra Famila prison gang members were indicted by a federal grand jury March 7, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine – among other offenses. Court documents allege those arrested of homicide, attempted homicide, burglary, and methamphetamine trafficking.
Also arrested as part of the operation were: Gary Romero, aka Pizza, aka Cesar, aka Pepperoni, 47, of Stockton (arrested Saturday); Joe Anthony Gomez Felix, aka Gator, aka Bullet, 33, of Modesto (arrested Tuesday); Danny Richard Edwin Brown, aka D-boy, 37, of Modesto (arrested Tuesday);
Salvador Raymond Deleon Rodriguez, aka Sal, aka Fat Shark, 37, of Ceres (arrested today); Victor Barrajas Arriola, aka Twinky, 32, of Ceres (arrested today); and Jesse Israel Alarcon, 23, of Modesto (arrested on Tuesday).
An eighth suspected gang member, Carlos Lopez, 45, of Turlock, was arrested in December 2012 following a December 5, 2012 indictment that charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The defendants face a maximum federal drug trafficking penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Others may face life in prison and a $10 million fine, per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The operation was conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Probation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, The Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and their Special Services Unit, the Police Departments of Ceres, Turlock, and Modesto, the Sheriff’s Departments of Merced and Stanislaus Counties, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, and the Stanislaus County Probation Department.
The Department of Justice will not release mug shots of those arrested, per standard policy.
