Nine Alleged Oakland Sureño Gang Members Charged With Racketeering Conspiracy In Connection With Murders And Related Crimes

OAKLAND - A federal grand jury has indicted nine men on charges of racketeering conspiracy in connection with two murders, three attempted murders, narcotics and firearms distribution, and other related crimes allegedly perpetrated on behalf of two Oakland-based Sureño street gangs.

The nine defendants, Marvin Bonilla, a/k/a "Malandro," 24; Edwin Cano-Merida, aka "Zombie," 24; Cesar Rolando Lucas-Pablo, a/k/a "Lobo," 28; Walfer Mendoza-Mendoza, a/k/a "Shorty," 31; Gonzalo Pablo, a/k/a "Chalo," 25; Jeronimo "Orlando" Pablo-Carrillo, a/k/a "Paisano," 41; Mario Pablo-Matias, a/k/a "Chuco," 24; Raymundo Pablo-Matias, a/k/a "El Moch," 31; and Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza, a/k/a "Minch," 28, were charged in an indictment filed October 9, 2025, and unsealed today.

Six of the nine defendants were arrested this morning in coordinated law enforcement operations. Lucas-Pablo and Pablo-Carrillo were already in custody, and Gonzalo Pablo remains at large. A number of the defendants are unlawfully residing in the United States.

"Like people everywhere, the residents of Oakland deserve safe and peaceful neighborhoods, not ones filled with fear and senseless violence. The Administration has made it clear that enough is enough. This indictment charges nine members of the Oakland Sureños for their roles in a dangerous criminal enterprise that inflicted harm throughout Oakland," said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. "My office will continue to partner with local and federal law enforcement to reclaim our streets from the gangs who threaten our residents. We could not have done this case without the involvement of many law enforcement partners and, in particular, I would like to thank the FBI and the Oakland Police Department for their excellent work."

"The alleged criminal activity of these gang members has plagued Oakland's neighborhoods and put innocent residents at risk," said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo. "The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to prioritize violent crime and eradicate gang activity that threatens the safety and stability of our communities. While we continue to focus on disrupting the violent and illicit operations of local street gangs, today's arrests mark significant progress in that ongoing fight. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not allow violent gangs to operate with impunity or endanger the citizens we are sworn to protect."

"These individuals have caused lasting damage to our community for years," said Assistant Chief James Beere of the Oakland Police Department. "Their violent actions, including shootings and homicides, have left families mourning and communities forever changed. We are grateful for the efforts of our local law enforcement partners, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, as we work together to seek justice for the victims and their families."

According to the indictment, the nine defendants were members of a racketeering enterprise referred to in the indictment as the Oakland Sureños, a criminal street gang whose members lived in and around Oakland, California. The Oakland Sureños were part of the larger Sureños criminal street gang and, like the larger Sureños gang, generally recognized the primacy of the Mexican Mafia prison gang. The larger Sureños gang was organized into "cliques," smaller groups that typically operated within specific territory.

SAP and SSL-502 were among the Oakland Sureños cliques. SAP originally stood for "San Antonio Park," a public park located between 16th Avenue and 18th Avenue in Oakland, which SAP had claimed as its primary turf before moving to Estuary Park around 2019. SSL-502, which stood for South Side Locos combined with "502," the telephone country code for Guatemala, originally claimed as its turf the area surrounding the 1300 and 1400 blocks of 72nd Avenue before expanding to Arroyo Viejo Park in approximately 2017. Members of the cliques engaged in criminal conduct for the benefit of the street gang, its members, and the larger Sureños organization. Gang members perpetrated crimes, including murder, shootings, firearms trafficking, and narcotics trafficking, to enhance and protect the power, territory, and profit of the gang and to gain entry into, and improve a member's status in, the gang. These crimes included committing violence against gang rivals perceived as disrespecting the Oakland Sureños, which led to innocent members of the public being injured or killed.

In furtherance of the Oakland Surenos, defendants allegedly committed more than a dozen criminal acts. The list of crimes includes two murders, both occurring in 2019, of men who were perceived to be rivals of the Oakland Sureños. In addition to the murder allegations, additional crimes described in the indictment that defendants allegedly committed include three attempted murders (two with firearms and one with a baseball bat), attempted robbery, narcotics trafficking, and firearms trafficking.

In sum, each defendant is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, the indictment alleges that special sentencing factors apply to six defendants as follows:

• Gonzalo Pablo for his role in the November 22, 2018, attempted murder of an unidentified victim;
• Cesar Rolando Lucas-Pablo, Jeronimo "Orlando" Pablo-Carrillo, and Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza for their respective roles in the January 5, 2019, murder of a victim identified as "R.B.P.";
• Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza and Jeronimo "Orlando" Pablo-Carillo for their respective roles in the January 19, 2019, murder of a victim identified as "S.R.J."; and
• Edwin Cano-Merida and Mario Pablo-Matias for their respective roles in the May 15, 2021 attempted murder of a victim identified "M.M."

The maximum statutory penalty applying to these violations is life in prison. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on October 30, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis James, Andy Scoble, Jonah Ross, and Wendy Garbers, with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the FBI, the Oakland Police Department, and the FBI SF East Bay Violent Crime Task Force, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration for today's arrests.

This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Region 2 San Francisco/Sacramento Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).