Five young Houston men faced detention hearings Tuesday in a federal case built around an FBI investigation into a self-titled gang investigators identify as YNS, following a monthslong investigation that began with social media posts and rap videos and escalated into a series of undercover operations involving alleged robbery plans, firearms and machine-gun conversion devices.

YNS stands for "Young N-word Shooters" or Steppers, investigators said Tuesday.

The defendants who appeared in court are Joquez Frye, Jacob Barrett, Kristian Winters, Darrell Sampson and Jaquan McClendon.