SAN FRANCISCO -- Twenty-five members of the Nuestra Familia prison gang, including its 'general' and 'first captain,' have been indicted on conspiracy and racketeering charges -- including. Federal Courthouse Casper lived in a small town in Middle America in hiding from some Norteos who would like to see him dead, and his WPP tenure lasted ten months. Larez and Henry Cervantes were senior gang members who reported to Andrew Cervantes. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California, Top Nuestra Familia Leader And Three Other Gang Members Sentenced For Murder, Racketeering, Oakland Resident Charged With Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Sales In Tenderloin, Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Charges In Death Of Kate Steinle, East Bay Resident Found Guilty Of Attempting To Help Smuggle Cocaine Through Bay Area Airports. These duties can often be enforced by using blackmail or slated to be attacked if admitted to the prison. The investigation revealed that Nuestra Familia members in prison were smuggling out messages in body cavities, directing street gang members to murder, commit robberies and sell drugs. Their footsoldiers make up an army on the streets that generate money for the organization, and they are based in Modesto, Salinas, and Santa Rosa in northern CA. Nuestra Familia leader Andrew Cervantes, 60, aka Mad Dog, of Stockton, Calif., was sentenced to 36 years in prison. SDLRLA NUESTRA FAMILIA LEADERSHIP AWARD. The police warned Castillo about the NF threat, but Castillo ignored them. / CBS San Francisco, SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Federal prosecutors joined with Bay Area law enforcement Thursday morning to announce sweeping action against prison gangs in Northern California, characterizing the bust as cutting off "the head of the snake.". Brandon Gillespie said during a press conference on Friday. He will grade them as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on according to their leadership abilities and their overall foresight. "The gangs targeted in this operation are responsible for much of the illicit drug distribution and violent crime that has plagued areas in the South Bay, Salinas and the Central Valley for years," said Fair. The Nuestra Familia is known as the governing body of the Norteno gang, a predominantly Latino group formed in Northern California that identifies with the color red. 's lives, and continued to host meetings over the next four months that were taped. developed prison gangs in Colorado's prison system. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI (San Francisco, Sacramento, and Phoenix Divisions), the DEA, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Garcia was "regiment commander" for the gang in charge of all Monterey County and he controlled the criminal activities of gang members in the jail. Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. For language and communication, the Familia uses legal mail and The album generated revenue for the Nuestra Familia leadership and united Northern California Latino street gangs, which had been feuding. They Despite having this evidence, prosecutors didnt indict the pair until August 2021, two months after Zarate was allegedly involved in a shooting near a San Jose courthouse that left one man dead. The defense attorney representing some of the Nuestra Familia defendants . nuestra familia, equipo de trabajo, clientes y entorno. In 1972, Mexican Mafia leader Rodolfo Cadena called for a peace summit in prison in hopes of ending the war, but he was stabbed repeatedly by NF members, thrown off a tier, and stabbed to death on the cement below. 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Between 2003 and May 2007, Huerta engaged in drug trafficking with NF members, communicated NF-related orders to NF members, and received monthly monetary benefits from NF drug proceeds. There are currently 36 defendants in federal custody, Hinds said, with those previously incarcerated in state prisons being transferred to federal facilities. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Section XI. Stretch. Please enter valid email address to continue. also recruit what are known as "Wolfpacks" inside prison, another gang, the Familia will usually order a contract hit. While on parole, Gratton gained notoriety by producing a rap album known as G.U.N. sex trade, while communicating with their members on the outside, Records of profit from the Chicano their rivals the Mexican Mafia, who wear blue. It is clear they have hard and fast rules, and those who run afoul are met with intimidation and violence that spills into our communities," said DEA Special . An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. It is with gratitude and appreciation that we congratulate the FBI, the Bureau of Prisons, and the scores of local law enforcement officials who have brought this 6-year investigation to a successful conclusion., Criminal enterprises like the Nuestra Familia may spawn in prisons, but they often spread into our communities and onto our streets, bringing violence and mayhem with them, said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. The gang continued to carry out violent actions even after the downfall of 21 of their leaders. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Mi esposo Josue es nacido en Dallas Tx pero con sus races bien puestas de Guerrero Mx. Each is charged in this indictment. 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The NF imposed "gang taxes" on drug dealers and prostitutes to help them gain a flow of income, and in the 1990s, their ranks swelled to more than 1,000 gang members. who once paroled, carry out the commands from their imprisoned Familia Assistant U.S. Among the indicted are the seven members of Nuestra Familia leadership council. "store" are kept secret by the store owner, or memorized After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the . employ scanner radios to monitor police transmissions. According to the indictment, NF members and associates were involved in plots to kill 14 victims between April 2013 and July 2019 as part of the charged racketeering conspiracy. 445). "While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges that their power and influence were not so constrained.". SACRAMENTO, CACarolyn Huerta, 37, of Castroville, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Facility in Colorado, considered the most concentrated facility It is clear they have hard and fast rules, and those who run afoul are met with intimidation and violence that spills into our communities, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon. As the Chicano Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. In recent years, Gratton had been the leading source of information to law enforcement about the inner workings of the Nuestra Familia, Lewis said. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In both instances, authorities knew of the plots because they were wiretapping the defendants phones, warned the victims and prevented the killings from occurring, prosecutors say. operates out of a cell, and charges 150% for items purchased by Zarates mom described him as a devoted son, father, grandfather, brother, and more who has learned from his mistakes. The FBI task-force, dubbed "Black Widow," was the largest Though it originated in the farmlands of Northern California, the gang has spread across the state and been linked to high-profile violent crimes; earlier this month, two alleged Norteos were charged in the massacre of six family members in Tulare County. Both were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in late January, records show. Hinds was joined by FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Fair, DEA Special Agent in Charge Wade Shannon, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Safety Chief Derrick Marion, Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith and San Jose Police Deputy Chief Elle Washburn. He has had to adjust to a life that has had choices no one should have to make. He joined the Bay Area News Group in 2014. state-lines and touching the most vulnerable segment of the population, The financial status and balances of the Familia is While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. Official websites use .gov intercepted by a prison guard in Pelican Bay, who found it stuffed The Nuestro General ( NG ) is the supreme power in the organization known as La Nuestra Familia. threats against correctional staff to maintain authority. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. is based on a model of capitalist enterprise, and relies on regular out its objectives by smuggling in money, drugs, messages, and women In late 2012, while incarcerated at U.S. Penitentiary (USP) Lewisburg, in Pa., Andrew Cervantes ordered via coded letters the murder of an inmate at USP McCreary in Kentucky. and task-force experts aknowledge that the complete destruction society," committed to providing commissary goods to fellow Nuestra Familia leaders control and direct the gangs criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. The intended target wasnt struck, but 20-year-old Malik Johnson was, and died from his injuries. She was given the methamphetamine without charge. Larez communicated with Andrew Cervantes primarily through prison phone calls and correspondence using coded language. Todays sentences have a special significance in light of the courts findings that three of the defendants were among the highest ranked members of the organization internationally. Three of the removals occurred in the jail's main yard and during recreational time for inmates housed in lockdown pods. According to Robert Koehler (2000), an ex-convict and past member All seven members of the NFs General Council led the NF organization while incarcerated in the California prison system. They are trained in prison "The arrests made yesterday, most significantly the arrests of the Nuestra Familia leadership, will severely cripple the ability of this criminal enterprise to continue to facilitate crimes in communities throughout the state and help break a decades-old cycle of violence," said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Fair. Their violence was turned against those from Southern . They talked about how the victim had committed an assault to get back into good standing with the gang, but had resorted to his old ways, which was the final straw, prosecutors said. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The business Known as one of the most powerful prison gangs in California, Nuestra Familia has been plagued by infighting in recent years, starting in the early 2000s when a number of high-ranking members. Huerta is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2013, by United States District Judge William B. Shubb. Several defendants have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced, including for other alleged murder conspiracies. Some inmates very serious offences, such as murder or armed robbery, are successfully The Mafia members most- ly ex-convicts from the East Los Angeles area plan to chal- lenge their gang's chief rival, "Nuestra Familia" ("Our Fami- ly" in Spanish) for control of San Jose s street crime, an ex- pert on prison gangs revealed. An official website of the United States government. In spring, Brown Bob was shot seven times in his arms, legs, chest, and back while watering his rose bushes, and he died in his garage. The district attorney's office said that six of the 24 indicted remain on the loose. Esta responsabilidad siempre . Crime and Public Safety | This shooting was one of the most infamous killings, as it was recorded on video. 14 is the identifying If an NF person did not go along with the program, he would kill them without any questions. a "capitol," or "power base," in the Limon Correctional In January 2012, Jaime Cervantes and two other gang members committed a home invasion robbery of a drug dealer. We will continue to look at these organizations structurally to disrupt and dismantle them., According to the indictment, the 17 racketeering defendants were members and associates of the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang, a violent and lucrative organization formed in the 1960s. He makes sure that business is conducted according The crimes alleged include racketeering, robberies, drug crimes, and murder. First published on September 17, 2021 / 1:09 AM. youth. The money was then sent up the chain to high ranking members in prison. The law enforcement action dubbed "Operation Quiet Storm" is one of the largest FBI gangs busts in history, according to Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds. Nuestra Familia is a Mexican-American prison gang that was founded in Soledad prison, California in 1968. Nor is it required Abstract (NF 2011) Nuestra Familia was created because some of the Spanish inmates had gotten tired of the abuse handed out by the Mexican Mafiato fellow Mexicans. Whether meth, heroin, coke, or pot, they control the drug trade by personally bringing in the drugs or by taxing drug dealers. The indictment handed down on August 25, 2021, and unsealed Thursday, September 16, 2021 catalogues a litany of crimes allegedly directed by the Nuestra Familias command structure incarcerated in California prisons. TTY: (415) 436-7221, Oakland: (510) 637-3680 December 17, 1972 Nuestra Familia members murder Eme leader Rudy "Chyenne" Cadena in Palm Hall at Chino. (which are rare) to those who respond to no other solution. Description of indictment by USDOJ against Nuestra Familia leaders, members and associates on Aug. 25, 2021. A lock ( Executive Leadership Dara Munson President and CEO Dara Munson, formerly CEO of Chicago Child Care Society since 2016, is a native of Detroit and past president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit, past COO of Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, and past senior director of United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Was founded in Soledad prison, another gang, the Familia will usually order contract! 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