"Today's operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? It consists of more than 20,000 members inside and outside of prison. slated to be attacked if admitted to the prison. Andrew Cervantes led the criminal organization from a federal prison in Pennsylvania, using complex coded letters and telephone calls to communicate to his underlings. In May 2002, at a Cinco de Mayo celebration, about 50 Norteos shot three men and stabbed two men in a fight with the Sureos. outside of prison, and those family members then verify reception
December 17, 1972 Nuestra Familia members murder Eme leader Rudy "Chyenne" Cadena in Palm Hall at Chino. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Because the process can take many years, only those convicted of
This shooting was one of the most infamous killings, as it was recorded on video. Vincent Gerald Garcia, 55, of Salinas. state-lines and touching the most vulnerable segment of the population,
The intended target wasnt struck, but 20-year-old Malik Johnson was, and died from his injuries. Under George Collord, the police gathered informants in prison, including "Red Raider", who revealed the leadership structure of the gang. Huerta received the NF drug proceeds and methamphetamine as a fee for facilitating communication between her husband and others. If an NF person did not go along with the program, he would kill them without any questions. Vincent Gerald Garcia, 55, of Salinas, is the 14th defendant charged and convicted in the case, which involves racketeering, conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in the aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in the aid of racketeering. Northern District of California
Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. "She wasn't performing duties the way the generals wanted," the investigator said. Crime and Public Safety | . Andrew Cervantes was the top-ranking leader, or so-called 'overseer', of the Nuestra Familia. In January 2015, one of the men also identified by prosecutors in the indictment, Vincent Gerald "Chente" Garcia, 51, received 35 years to life in prison for his role as a Nuestra Familia. Answers & Questions about gangs, organized crime, graffiti & gang activity around the World, Unread post Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Zarate and Maldonado admitted to two murder conspiracies in 2018 and 2019. Nuestro General Gerald "Cuete" Rubelcaba ordered the assassination of former NF member Robert "Brown Bob" Viramontes in early 1998, a member of the leading council for the NF and a 20-year veteran who had covered up his NF tattoo on his back and also educated young kids about the dangers of gang life. In compliance with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements, some of these records are no longer in the physical possession of the FBI, eliminating the FBI's capability to re-review and/or re-process this material. SDLRLA NUESTRA FAMILIA LEADERSHIP AWARD. According to Robert Koehler (2000), an ex-convict and past member
costs, and providing commissary goods to members placed in administrative
group, and judging by their self-assuredness, ideological adherence,
He will grade them as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on according to their leadership abilities and their overall foresight. dress, as well as how to rob banks, armored cars, and private homes
drug operations. Nuestra Familia's new leadership General: David "DC" Cervantes Top Commanders: Daniel "Stork" Perez, of Salinas; Anthony "Chuco" Guillen, of San Jose; George "Puppet" Franco, of San Jose Demoted: Jose "Huerito" Gonzalez; James "Conejo" Perez Copyright 2008 Monterey County Herald Copyright 2013 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Maldonados mother wrote to the court that he entered the prison system as an immature young man and has been affected by prison life. It soon became a multi-agency endeavor, including the FBI, the California Department of Corrections, and the US attorney, operating out of their command center at a downtown high-rise in Santa Rosa, California. Additional assistance was provided by the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office; the Oakland Police Department; the San Jose Police Department; the Red Bluff Police Department; the Livermore Police Department; the Alameda County Sheriffs Office; the Campbell Police Department; the Tehama County District Attorneys Office; and the Tehama County Sheriffs Office. Once membership was achieved, this membership was for life. Following a series of raids Wednesday, prosecutors have charged 55 people, including seven in Northern California prisons, a group described as the governing body of the Nuestra Familia prison. Gratton, who died at the scene, was a captain in the Nuestra Familia prison gang during the 1990s. also use code words written in Nahuatl, an Aztec language. by SUR 14 May 19th, 2008, 11:21 pm, Unread post youth. The gang is allies with the Bloods, Crips, and Black Guerrilla Family, while it is hostile towards the Mexican Mafia, Mexikanemi, MS-13, Texas Syndicate, Fresno Bulldogs, Nazi Lowriders,Aryan Brotherhood, Public Enemy No. "Today's operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. 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. Nuestro canal (NuestraFamiliTv) es formado por 5 miembro de la familia. to the rules, and decides on important issues concerning the welfare
The money was then sent up the chain to high ranking members in prison. If I fall, avenge me. In securing the drug trade within prison, the Nuestra
Official websites use .gov Bay City News Service contributed to this report. They bring in millions of dollars through the drug trade, but prostitution, extortion, and identity theft are also major rings. ordering hits and organizing smuggling rings. 2019 - Catherine Arambula. Have a question about Government Services? In June 2021, Zarate was arrested and charged with murder for his alleged participation in a retaliatory shooting in San Jose. Nuestra Familia is one of a constellation of race-based prison gangs that organize and direct the growing subculture of California's inmates. The final tally left 11 wounded and mafia member Archie Gallego, 25, dead. Robert Lee Gratton, 44, of Palmdale -- who authorities suspect was driving while intoxicated -- was backing his Chevrolet Cavalier down Highway 14 north of Agua Dulce Road about 1:15 a.m. Friday, when it was struck by another vehicle, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said. "The indictment charges all seven of the members who make up the Nuestra Familia's ruling body: the General Council," said Acting U.S. Attorney Hinds. The Familia
no interest or very little interest. In addition to recruiting "mules," the Nuestra Familia
Nuestra Familia leaders control and direct the gangs criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. Surenos, which operate out of Southern California. In this case, one or more "hitters" stabbed the victim, followed by "bombers" who viciously beat the man without weapons. If I stumble, push me. it is not required for an initiate to commit murder. "By disrupting gang leadership, we take aim at the head of the snake and seek to reduce violence and other criminal activity on our streets and in our jails and prisons, said Hinds.". leader recently released from Pelican Bay was ordered to kill a
Both were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in late January, records show. Membership in the gang is generally sought for protection from
Really? Gang Questions, Info & News - West Coast - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - East Coast - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - Mid West - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - South - U.S.A. Gang Questions, Info & News - General - U.S.A. International Street Gangs & Organized Crime, Middle East / South East / Far East - Asia, Mexico, Central America, South America & the Caribbean, Canada street gangs & US Organized Crime, Past Figures, The Infamous & Legends of the Game, Prevention, Intervention, Education and Awareness, Open Section for Other Random Topics & Controverisal issues, http://www.geocities.com/jiggy2000_us/f eline.html. Prosecution wraps case in Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Dozens dead in Greeces worst rail disaster. Fair said the Nuestra Familia prison gang worked with other gangs such as Norteos, El Hoyo Grande, and San Jose Palmas with the effects felt across communities in the Bay Area and California. A video tape was played at trial showing the man being stabbed 13 times in a cafeteria in a federal prison in Louisiana, shortly after the coded letters were written. Since then the Familia has moved eastward across the
homeland of the Familianos. SAN JOSE A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, including acts involving murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and money laundering, and charging five others with drug trafficking-related crimes. in his head. Five days after Castillo was released from a short,
In January 2012, Jaime Cervantes and two other gang members committed a home invasion robbery of a drug dealer. Colorado prisons and the American criminal justice system. More and more NF members were recruited in the 1980s, and they wanted to control all of California from Bakersfield. 445). In an intercepted prison message, Nuestra Familia leaders explained that Crystal Morado was killed because she was no longer "functioning," according to a specialist who has investigated the gang for federal and state agencies for 15 years. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Some were forced to live in the Secure Housing Unit (the "Shoe"), where 12,000 inmates were held in a "prison within a prison" where the inmate was under constant surveillance. The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. 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. Henry Cervantes, 52, aka Happy, of Lodi, Calif., was sentenced to 75 years in prison. Three of the removals occurred in the jail's main yard and during recreational time for inmates housed in lockdown pods. The Nuestro General ( NG ) is the supreme power in the organization known as La Nuestra Familia. By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. Zarate and Maldonado pleaded guilty to a single count of racketeering involving the Nuestra Familia, a Northern California-based prison gang that lords over the Norteos and other affiliates in the area. Known commonly as NF, the gang has tens of thousands of members, and the 1998 El Norte Law decreed that all . Two Northern California Nuestra Familia members, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Chart: Bay Area rainfall totals for this week, Two Northern California Nuestra Familia members sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to murder Norteos, One charged with murder, second suspect released, in mass shootout that killed teen at Oakland music video shoot, Teen girls arrested after allegedly riding scooters into San Francisco pedestrians, Jury finds Bay Area man guilty of annoying or molesting a child, Convicted murderer charged in 1980 cold case slaying of woman found in rural Solano County, East Bay rapper Bla$ta was playing his own music as he allegedly escaped police in 120 mph chase, authorities say. Of the Familianos websites use.gov Bay City News Service contributed to this report South U.S.A. 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