SAN DIEGO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - California, Southern), published as received.
SAN DIEGO – Five alleged members and associates of the “El Cajon Locos” criminal street gang have been indicted on federal racketeering charges in connection with drug and firearms trafficking and violent crimes. A sixth defendant has been charged with witness tampering and witness harassment.
The defendants are charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), which makes it a federal crime to participate in an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug trafficking, firearms offenses and violent crimes. All defendants are in custody.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by state and federal authorities into alleged criminal activity by the El Cajon Locos (ECLS), including offenses allegedly committed on behalf of the gang between April and November 2025.
The indictment alleges that ECLS and its associates have primarily operated out of the Terraza Hills Apartments in El Cajon. According to the indictment, ECLS and its associates committed violent acts such as assaulting and robbing an individual believed to have cooperated with law enforcement, and robbing another person of drugs, guns, and money.
In addition, the indictment charges defendant Nicole Cristina Gracia with witness tampering and witness harassment. According to the indictment, the defendant intimidated, harassed, threatened and persuaded a robbery victim to mislead law enforcement by falsely claiming that a video depicting a robbery was staged for a music video.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 26-CR-2808-LL
| Defendant 1 – SEALED | ||
| Defendant 2 – SEALED | ||
Jose Morales aka “Pee Wee” | Age: 49 | San Diego, CA |
Luis Baltierrez aka “Snow Owl” | Age: 40 | San Diego, CA |
Oscar Mendoza Alatorre Sr. aka “Lurch” | Age: 43 | San Diego, CA |
| Nicole Christine Gracia | Age: 34 | San Diego, CA |
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity – 18 U.S.C. §1962(d)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
*Redacted defendants, Jose Morales, Luis Baltierrez, and Oscar Mendoza Alatorre Sr.
Felon in Possession of a Firearm — 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1)
Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine
*Redacted defendant
Possessing a Firearm During and In Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime – 18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a five-year mandatory minimum and $250,000 fine
*Redacted defendant
Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine — 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
*Redacted defendant
Witness Tampering – 18 U.S.C. §1512(b)(3)
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
*Nicole Cristina Gracia
Harassing a Witness – 18 U.S.C. §1512(d)(2)
Maximum Penalty: Three years in prison and $100,000 fine
*Nicole Cristina Gracia
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
El Cajon Police Department
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego County Sheriff’s Office
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
