Officials on Wednesday announced the indictment of 20 people linked to gang activity in Santa Ana and nearby communities.
Nine of them were arrested on federal narcotics and firearms charges on Wednesday morning, said Nicola Hanna, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
Nine others were already in custody on other charges, including two who were detained on Tuesday. Two others, Sergio Soria of Tustin and Michael Herrera of Santa Ana, both 41 years old, remained at large. Herrera was suspected to be in Mexico.
An additional individual recently died and was no longer named as a defendant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted.
An investigation into gangs across Orange County—dubbed “Operation King Midas—led to the indictments, which alleged the selling and distribution of meth and heroin, as well as firearms offenses.
Seven of the defendants were believed to be members of the “Alley Boys” street gang, and four others apparently belonged to other O.C. gangs.
One operation was run at a budget hotel in Santa Ana, a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The FBI worked on the case with police departments in Santa Ana, Anaheim and Fullerton in addition to other agencies.
The following individuals were in custody as of Wednesday:
- David Oscar Perez, 42, of Santa Ana
- Hector Aburto Lopez, 27, of Santa Ana
- Sammy Walter Gray Jr., 35, of Santa Ana
- Sylvia Gray, 43, of Santa Ana
- Deanna Lorraine Kirk, 48, of Bakersfield
- George Ramirez, 39, of Santa Ana
- Danny Castillo, 39, of Santa Ana
- Melissa Ramirez, 35, of Santa Ana
- Esteban Cervantes, 43, of Santa Ana
- Oscar Peralta Jimenez, 35, of Santa Ana
- Daniel Zaragoza, 39, of Santa Ana
- Jennie Martinez, 27, of Santa Ana
- Jaime Rojas, 41, of Garden Grove
- Cesar Reyes, 43, of Santa Ana
- Rene Cruz, 42, of Santa Ana
- Berenice Macias, 27, of Anaheim
- Gregory Michael O’Brien, 50, of Santa Ana
- Frank Perez, 47, of Santa Ana
