Two Gainesville men were among 26 people whose indictments were announced Thursday in the federal prosecution of a street gang authorities say is responsible for seven murders in the metro Atlanta area.

Officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said the MS-13 street gang staked out Gwinnett and DeKalb counties as its territory. The gang held meetings where members discussed attacking and killing rival gang members, collected money, shared guns and disciplined members who broke gang rules.

Of the 26 people indicted, 16 are charged in their roles in committing seven murders — four of rival gang members, two robbery victims and one killing of a fellow gang member.

Joseph Ivan “Travieso” Dias, 21, and Omar “Pancho” Cubillos, 25, both of Gainesville, are charged with violent crime in aid of racketeering involving murder. They also are charged with racketeering influenced and corrupt organization conspiracy and using a firearm in relation to the commission of a crime of violence.

The other 24 defendants are from Norcross, Lawrenceville, Tucker, Chamblee, Lilburn and Duluth. The crimes were committed primarily in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

“MS-13 is a ruthless street gang that has used violence to spread fear throughout our community,” Acting U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement. “These gang members seized every chance they had to kill, shoot and rob. They were not only devoted to wiping out rival gangs, they showed no hesitation in robbing and shooting innocent victims. Now these gang members have to answer for their criminal behavior.”

Four of the 26 defendants made their initial appearance in court Thursday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerrilyn Brill. Another nine defendants will be arraigned today. The rest will be arraigned in the coming weeks.

The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Service and Gwinnett and DeKalb police.