Four Lodi gang members were federally indicted, and additional arrests were made at the state level following a monthslong operation targeting illegal firearms and drug trafficking in San Joaquin County.
At a news conference Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced the results of Operation Sparkplug, which began in February. Authorities said the operation focused on criminal activity contributing to rising violence in Stockton and Lodi.
The investigation targeted firearms and drug trafficking by members of the Varrio Mojado Sureño, or VMS, a violent criminal gang operating in the Central Valley.
A federal grand jury in Sacramento indicted four gang members: Angelo Contreras, 24; Felix Saenz, 19; Luke Phillips, 25; and Victor Ramos-Ayala, 19.
Federal prosecutors said they were charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms in San Joaquin County.
According to court documents, Contreras, Saenz, Phillips, and Ramos‑Ayala conspired to sell more than 37 firearms through 14 controlled purchases. Prosecutors allege that after Contreras sold the first eight firearms, Ramos‑Ayala arranged five additional sales.
All four men were arrested Wednesday and will make their initial appearances Thursday in federal court in Sacramento.
Grant said the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office also charged a number of violent offenders from the same gang. However, the names of those defendants were not released.
“Operation Sparkplug is a great example of a significant priority of the U.S. Department of Justice to partner with federal, state and local law enforcement to identify the criminals and criminal enterprises who drive violence in our communities,” Grant said during the news conference.
A federal indictment unsealed after the arrests outlined additional charges.
Contreras is charged with unlawful dealing in firearms, four counts of being felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun.
Saenz is charged with unlawful dealing in firearms, possession of a machine gun and distribution of methamphetamine.
Phillips is charged with unlawful dealing in firearms, four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of distribution of cocaine.
During the operation, law enforcement seized 37 firearms, two privately manufactured firearms, commonly known as ghost guns, three machine-gun conversion devices, one suppressor, 2 ounces of cocaine and 1 pound of methamphetamine.
“Sadly, it’s far too easy for these violent gang members to get their hands on weapons and drugs that fuel drugs in the Central Valley,” Grant said.
Throughout the investigation, authorities learned that members of the VMS gang had been involved in illegal firearm sales, drug sales, shootings and robberies in San Joaquin, Sacramento and Bay Area counties, said Alex Buenaventura, assistant special agent in charge of the ATF's San Francisco Field Division.
Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden, who was also in attendance, said the weapons from the gang members fueled violence in the community and put innocent lives at risk.
He said the operation was launched following a significant increase in violence in Stockton during June. That month, the Stockton Police Department investigated seven homicidesand eight non-fatal shootings.
“This case is a clear example of what can be achieved when agencies work together to share commitment to public safety,” McFadden said.
Authorities collaborated through undercover purchases, traffic stops and search warrants, recovering illegal weapons and drugs while identifying those responsible for distributing them.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas called the operation a success.
“Let me be clear about what we’re dealing with. Criminal activity uncovered during this investigation was nonisolated, nor was it random,” Freitas said. “It was pervasive, it was coordinated. These gang members worked hard hand-in-hand operating under the false assumption that they could compromise the safety of our neighborhoods without consequence.”
He said every single gun seized represented a shooting prevented, a family spared from heartbreak and a life saved.
Lodi Police Chief Ricardo Garcia said removing illegal firearms from the streets is an important part of preventing shootings and reducing violence.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said that if convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully deal in firearms, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of firearms is 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The maximum statutory penalty for distribution of methamphetamine is life in prison and a $10 million fine.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: 4 Lodi gang members federally indicted on firearm, drug trafficking charges
