Salem, OR. — Three men associated with the Sureño street gang have been charged with felon in possession of a firearm following a series of undercover operations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Cesar Daniel Arevalo, 36, of Portland, and Jose Luis Brown Ceballos, 35, and Jose Luis Diaz Ceballos, 24, both of Salem, have been charged by criminal complaint with Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
According to court documents, between July and November 2025, ATF undercover agents completed multiple covert purchase operations involving Arevalo and his associates. Agents bought 15 firearms—four modified into machineguns—along with 58 machinegun conversion devices and cocaine from the subjects, including Diaz Ceballos.
On November 13, 2025, Arevalo, Brown Ceballos, Diaz Ceballos, and a juvenile carried out armed protection of an undercover narcotics transaction in Salem. Once the transaction concluded, ATF agents arrested the suspects and recovered four firearms at the scene.
The ATF and FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Bockelman is prosecuting.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a coordinated effort to reduce violent crime and gun violence through community partnerships, focused enforcement, and prevention strategies.
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