⏱ 2 min read
Raul Coronel Suarez, a 22-year-old Salinas man, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for his involvement in the Salinas Acosta Plaza (SAP) Norteño criminal street gang. Between January 2023 and April 2024, Coronel participated in six separate shootings, resulting in two deaths and four injuries, in Salinas, California. As a member of the SAP, Coronel was part of a larger Norteño organization that perpetrated crimes to protect and uphold its power, territory, and profits. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman on January 27, 2026. Coronel pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and admitted to conducting the affairs of the enterprise through murder.
The SAP Norteños are a street gang that originated in a Salinas apartment complex by the same name. The group is now recognized as a clique within the larger collection of Norteño criminal street gangs. Members of the gang work together to carry out crimes, including shootings, robberies, and drug sales, to gain entry into and improve their status within the gang.
According to the plea agreement, Coronel admitted to being associated with Norteño criminal street gangs from at least mid-2022 through at least April 2024. He also admitted to possessing a firearm, methamphetamine, and cocaine in July 2023. In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman sentenced Coronel to a 3-year period of supervised release.
The sentencing is a significant blow to the Norteño gang’s operations in Salinas, California. The case was investigated by federal authorities, including the FBI, and prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Organized Crime
- Defendant: California
- Location: CA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
