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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. it is not required for an initiate to commit murder. Nuestra Familia is organized in a military-like hierarchy, with generals running the gang from inside prison and paroled regiment captains running the streets outside. Additionally, prosecutors describe Zarate as a high level heroin and cocaine trafficker who also collected thousands in dues for the gang. Informants helped the task force penetrate the upper echelons of the Nuestra Familia leadership . 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. sorrow or sadness, while an eagle painted red means bloodshed in the communications chief, and the director. 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. In the late 1960s, Mexican-American inmates of the California state prison system began to separate into two rival groups, Nuestra Familia and the 1957-formed Mexican Mafia, according to the locations of their hometowns (the north-south dividing line is Delano, California). According to Koehler, the Familia is a secretive and strongly-cohesive maintained by a "finance minister." Surenos, which operate out of Southern California. The bust was part of a five-year, multi-agency investigation and Hinds said the enforcement action is not over yet. 445). The structure and operational organization of the Nuestra Familia In January 2019, with a high-ranking Nuestra Familia member named Samuel Luna, the two allegedly conspired to murder a Norteo who is referred to as E.C. in court records. 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. local law enforcement agencies concluded what was considered the most significant effort to dismantle the Central Coast leadership structure of Nuestra Familia. 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. Fair said arrests were made in Santa Clara, Alameda, Modesto, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Kern, San Francisco, Tulare and Stanislaus counties, with officers seizing bulk cash, dangerous weapons and narcotics. The indictment also describes the NFs organizational structure and, in particular, the gangs governing body: a seven-member General Council, made up of three Generals and a four-member Inner Council, which makes significant decisions and oversees the activities of the NF and its subservient gangs. (NPR: All Things Considered, March 7 2005). Records of profit from the Ukiah became a meeting place for gang leaders in March of 2000, including the 3 "highest-ranking" Nuestra Familia leaders in the Bay Area. threats against correctional staff to maintain authority. Nuestra Familia is a prison gang that originally formed in the California state prison system in the 1960s. 3553. An official website of the United States government. The trial focused on 10 removals in the Monterey County Jail between December 2012 and April 2014. PressReader. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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 Government introduced a video at trial of the stabbing. Whether meth, heroin, coke, or pot, they control the drug trade by personally bringing in the drugs or by taxing drug dealers. This permitted Huerta to make money from methamphetamine sales without paying back any costs associated with the drugs. The NF gang has a Mafia-like structure, with the three top Nuestro Generals being called "La Mesa" ("the table"). She was given the methamphetamine without charge. (Generations of United Norteos) that invited all Norteos into the NF. who once paroled, carry out the commands from their imprisoned Familia After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the . Debts are sometimes 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. Official websites use .gov A locked padlock These members were accused of running a network of regiments across 28 counties in the state . "While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. designed to convey a specific message: an eagle painted black means As outlined in the indictment, membership in the NF involved a process of sponsorship, approval, and indoctrination. 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 gang. 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. He orchestrated and oversaw regiment commanders who generated money through drug sales and other crimes, like robbery. DOJ NF indictment 082521, The indictment charges all seven of the members who make up the Nuestra Familias ruling body: the General Council, said Acting U.S. Attorney Hinds. If an NF person did not go along with the program, he would kill them without any questions. 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. sport tattoos of a black eagle with arched wings on their wrists. With the final objective being to take down the leadership of Nuestra Familia, multiple raids were conducted . The indictment alleges an NF oath provides: If I lead, follow. manager, or "store" manager, is a level 1 member that The NF is alleged in the indictment to be a criminal enterprise that was created to organize, protect, discipline, profit from, and maintain the allegiance of gang members on the streets of and within custodial facilities in California. society," committed to providing commissary goods to fellow He rose through the ranks of the gang starting in the 1990s, prosecutors said. affairs, issuing warnings to those who interfere, as well as hits Operation Quiet Storm was the culmination of more than 5 years of complex investigative work. The meeting was ultimately unsuccessful because of the significant security measures in place at the facility. Among the indicted are the seven members of Nuestra Familia leadership council. For language and communication, the Familia uses legal mail and "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 eagle can also be to the Familia when the Familia requests a confirmation, usually Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cadena is stabbed 70 times before his body was hurled from the third tier to the main floor of the maximum security unit. Nuestra Familia is a prison gang that originally formed in the California state prison system in the 1960s. Contact Us- Overview- Territory/Jurisdiction, News and Outreach- Press Room | Stories- In Your Community, About Us- Our People & Capabilities- What We Investigate- Our Partnerships- Sacramento History, This content has been reproduced from its. offenders serving the longest sentences, served to concentrate the Founded in 1968 in Folsom Prison or in the Soledad Correctional Training Facility, Nuestra Familia originated as a prison gang that was formed by rivals of the Mexican Mafia, a Sureos gang. Vincent Gerald Garcia, 55, of Salinas. Casper was not allowed to put a hit on Armando Frias, as he was a government informant, but he said that he would have killed him if he was a regular NF member. "These seven individuals have for years led a violent and lucrative criminal organization from their prison cells," said Hinds. 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The Nuestra Familia, like all prison gangs, are undoubtedly a highly-secretive, If the debt is not repaid within a reasonable amount of time, debt The money was then sent up the chain to high ranking members in prison. "Today's operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. It consists of more than 20,000 members inside and outside of prison. . By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. is based on a model of capitalist enterprise, and relies on regular communications chief directs the messages to members of other gangs 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. by Common Sense August 23rd, 2007, 11:01 am, Unread post Crime and Public Safety | . Crime and Public Safety | You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. 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. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Some law enforcement agents speculate that the Nuestra Familia gang . Eight co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other offenses and were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from eight to 15 years. The charges pending against these defendants are as follows: The court also may order additional terms of supervised release, fines, and restitution. 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. Stretch, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. Mexico and El Salvador has received the most international recognition for street gang development as a result of US deportation, but other countries in South & Central America & the Caribbean including Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Domincan Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti [d'Hati], Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico [Estados Unidos Mexicanos], Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru [Per], Puerto Rico, Suriname, Uruguay, Venenzuela and many other islands in the Caribbean. developed prison gangs in Colorado's prison system. Familianos under one roof, strengthening their power within prison. Many Familia leaders on the outside also 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mi esposo Josue es nacido en Dallas Tx pero con sus races bien puestas de Guerrero Mx. 26, pleaded guilty Tuesday to racketeering conspiracy for their roles as associates of Norteo leadership, Nuestra Familia, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney . The beating by the bombers inflicted further injury to the stabbed target and continued the attack's "chaotic distraction" at the jail, which allowed time for the hitters to hide their weapons and wash off, prosecutors said. Under George Collord, the police gathered informants in prison, including "Red Raider", who revealed the leadership structure of the gang. Now hes under review. Catalog; For You; Los Gatos Weekly Times. While a federal report detailing a crackdown on the Nuestra Familia prison gang's racketeering operations states the gang is "claiming" Humboldt County as one . If I betray you, kill me.. recruited into the organization. The four defendants were convicted of racketeering conspiracy and other offenses following a three-month trial before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. of the Familia, and the strategies and operations of the family. At Level 1 there is the finance minister, the business manager, SDLRLA LEGACY AWARD. Often, Gratton later began working for police as part of a massive prosecution of Nuestra Familia leaders, known as Black Widow.. the Nuestra Familia/Nortenos vs. the Mexican Mafia/Surenos. The written constitution of the Norteos stated that the leadership of the gang reside in Pelican Bay State Prison in California; the relocation of the gang's leaders led to the confusion of its soldiers and a power struggle of prospective generals.<ref name="Monterey"> New leadership, constitution for Nuestra Familia. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt security unit not go along with drugs. 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