Lock "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 . Roy Morales. Abr. Nuestra Familia is a prison gang that originally formed in the California state prison system in the 1960s. The defendants are scheduled to make initial federal court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Nathanael Cousins and U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Sallie Kim today. Marshal Service, with the assistance of the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office, and the San Jose Police Department, and with support from the Alameda County Sheriffs Office, Antioch Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Fremont Police Department, Kings County Sheriffs Office, Monterey County Sheriffs Office, Mountain View Police Department, Sacramento Police Department, Salinas Police Department, Menlo Park Police Department, Santa Clara County Parole Department, Santa Clara County Probation Department, Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Cruz County District Attorneys Office, Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office, Modesto Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department, and Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. All seven members of the NFs General Council led the NF organization while incarcerated in the California prison system. [20] Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had complained that keeping the five remaining gang leaders located in the same prison only continued to add to California gang violence, and that they should be scattered throughout different prisons. This civil war has been going on for quite a while, almost since the Black Widow convictions, said Julie Reynolds, a journalist who authored the book Blood in the Fields about the Black Widow case. This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California. Operation Quiet Storm, as dubbed by the FBIs San Francisco area field office, yielded 17 indictments and 55 charged defendants, prompting an array of regional agencies including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office and San Jose Police Department to serve high-risk arrest warrants Wednesday. Nuestra Familia leader Andrew Cervantes, 60, aka Mad Dog, of Stockton, Calif., was sentenced to 36 years in prison. The charging announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Crag D. Fair, and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon at a press conference this morning. Pacifica: Suspect sought in indecent exposure incident, Fremont: Two-alarm apartment fire displaces 85 residents, They spent their lives teaching California's children. 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. Please note . The indictment alleges an NF oath provides: If I lead, follow. [14] While members of the Norteos gang are considered to be foot soldiers of Nuestra Familia, being a member of Nuestra Familia itself does not signify association as a Norteo. An F.B.I. 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. According to multiple gang experts, one main sticking point was the so-called End of Hostilities agreement in 2012 by Californias four main prison gangs, including the Nuestra Familia and their longtime rivals, the Mexican Mafia. Audio files from seminars, conferences, organization meetings, oral histories and from those knowledgeable will . During the robbery, Jaime Cervantes beat one victim over the head with a baseball bat and another victim was shot. 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. MONTEREY (CBS SF/BCN) A judge sentenced a high-up leader of the prison gang Nuestra Familia to over 25 years in federal prison Tuesday after being convicted of multiple gang violence conspiracies he perpetuated while in Monterey County Jail, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Harriette Cole: I never asked him to solve my problems but he won't back off, Gunmen storm Mexican resort, kill 7 people, including a child, California is changing how it goes after illegal cannabis farms, Caught off guard: How South Floridas rare storm compares to others, and where it sits in history, The final encore for Phantom: What the show means to one New Yorker who saw it dozens of times, For Varland brothers, now both in the MLB at same time, a dream come true, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Son un sinfn de historias de donde aprender y . Nuestra Familia top leadership was prosecuted and this made the gang to split into two groups. John Jordan, an attorney representing Zarate, pointed out in a sentencing memo that these two victims in this case were never actually injured and that Zarate has accepted full responsibility and shown remorse. In September 2011, Jaime Cervantes and another gang member burned the bodies of two murder victims in an apartment in Oakland based on orders from Henry Cervantes. He then ordered two of his underlings to destroy the crime scene by pouring gasoline over the bodies and lighting them on fire. Nuestra Familia gang initiation rites include blood in, blood out which means committing a bloody crime such as assault or murder in order to join or leave the gang. Mexico, Nuestra Familia (Spanish for "our family") is a criminal organization of Mexican American (Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. He's believed to be a high leader of Nuestra Familia. The Inner Council members that round out the seven were listed as Samuel Sammy Luna, Guillermo Capone Solorio, Trinidad Trino Martinez and George Puppet Franco. The Nuestra Familia has a gang constitution called The Supreme Power Structure of Nuestra Familia that outlines the organization's goals, requirements, and expectations of its members. A San Jose native, he graduated from UCLA with a BA degree in history and from the University of Maryland with a MA degree in journalism. Todays operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. Law enforcement authorities seized 40 pounds of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana, and dozens of firearms. 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. Also appearing at the press conference were Chief of the Office of Correctional Safety for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Derrick Marion, Santa Clara Sheriff Laurie Smith, and San Jose Deputy Chief of Police Elle Washburn. Mission Statement "Find the highest quality teaching about our history and make it available without cost to the community." Introducing. Members of the organization are considered to have taken a "blood oath" to join the gang, and are considered lifelong participants. Reach him the low-tech way at 408-920-5002. The U.S. Department of Justice said that Nuestra Familia (NF) and the Norteno gang are associated with each other, in that the Nortenos pledge loyalty to the NF. Larez recruited individuals, including Jaime Cervantes, to commit crimes on behalf of the gang and Henry Cervantes supervised the criminal activities of the gang in Oakland. Police surmise that the order was responsible for many of the shootings in Salinas in 2007, which increased by 50 percent over 2006 levels. The perpetration of violence and other crimes was ordinarily a prerequisite to entrance, continued membership, and advancement in the organization. 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. 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. A lock ( In January 2012, Jaime Cervantes and two other gang members committed a home invasion robbery of a drug dealer. Oregon,[6] Texas, Utah,[7] Washington[8] A former member said in an interview that leaders may use an ancient indigenous Mexican language, may send coded directions written in urine, and have also been known to smuggle information out of even the tightest prison cells through elaborate artwork. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). What is the Supreme Power Structure of Nuestra Familia? He joined the Bay Area News Group in 2014. Feds: 'Head of the Snake' Taken Down In Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Bust, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. Of nuestra familia nuestra familia tattoo of them have a nuestra familia members. Vincent Gerald Garcia, 55, of Salinas. 2023 InfoPay, Inc. All Rights Reserved. . Despite the governor's complaints, all five are still housed in the same supermax unit. Webinar: Strategies to Stop School Shootings - View On-Demand, Authorities say Nuestra Familia's revisions mean more violence in streets By Julia ReynoldsThe Monterey County HeraldMONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. Monterey County's deadliest gang has new leadership and a new constitution, forcing changes that law enforcement officers say is translating to increased violence in the streets. The leadership vacuum resulted in a power struggle between prospective generals. [19], Since the written constitution of the Norteos stated that the gang's leaders resided in Pelican Bay State Prison in California; the relocation of the five leaders led to turmoil among its members. If I stumble, push me. The FBIs Operation Black Widow resulted in arrests and indictments of 150 members of Nuestra Familia gang. Arizona, Florida,[2] Georgia, Idaho,[3] Nevada,[4] Kansas,[5] New Mexico, Northern California, A . The defendants charged in the alleged racketeering conspiracy include the following: 18 U.S.C. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Crime and Public Safety | As outlined in the indictment, membership in the NF involved a process of sponsorship, approval, and indoctrination. 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. Additionally, prosecutors describe Zarate as a high level heroin and cocaine trafficker who also collected thousands in dues for the gang. "Today's operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. Please enter valid email address to continue. Members and associates of the Enterprise agreed to commit crimes such as murder, narcotics trafficking, and other acts of violence through a pattern of racketeering activity. InfoTracer expressly prohibits the use of information you obtain from search results (a) to discriminate against any consumer; (b) for the purpose of considering a consumers eligibility for personal credit or insurance, employment, housing, or a government license or benefit; or (c) otherwise to affect a consumers economic or financial status or standing. The largest of the federal investigations was Operation Black Widow. [16], Nuestra Familia was organized at Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California in 1960. The Nuestra Familia was not recognized as a prison gang by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation until 1979. These regiments primarily guaranteed the NFs vast influence and control over its own and its street gang members, ensured avenues to direct violence and other illicit activity, and secured means for the NF to make money through the commission of criminal activity. Craig Fair, head of the FBIs San Francisco area field office, said the operation announced Thursday was one of the largest gang takedowns in FBI San Francisco divisions history.. The gangs targeted in this case are responsible for much of the illicit drug distribution and violent crime that has plagued areas throughout CA pic.twitter.com/cyLZ3Uls5c, FBI SanFrancisco (@FBISanFrancisco) September 16, 2021, We take aim at the head of the snake, Hinds said. First published on November 2, 2022 / 9:45 AM. By removing violent actors and crime drivers from the streets, we make our neighborhoods safer.. For the first time in decades, one man sits alone at the helm of the criminal organization that for more than 30 years has called the shots for thousands of Norte-o gang members in the Salinas Valley. If I betray you, kill me.. In June 2021, Zarate was arrested and charged with murder for his alleged participation in a retaliatory shooting in San Jose. A locked padlock The defendants were members or associates of the federal branch of the Nuestra Familia, which was controlled by two principal overseers incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), including Andrew Cervantes. 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. Initiation to Nuestra Familia gang may also include a lengthy and painful beating from fellow members. Jaime Cervantes was recruited by Larez to join the gang in 2010. Arnold Schwarzenegger protested the fact that the five were not scattered across the federal prison system, as former U.S. Attorney Robert Mueller's staff had promised. By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. Copyright 2023 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, Fair said. Have a question about Government Services? The money was then sent up the chain to high ranking members in prison. [21] Nuestra Familia members often use the image of a sombrero with a machete as their gang symbol. The indictment outlines each position according to the NF Constitution. How can I seem modest? interacts online and researches product purchases A lot of the street violence in the past 10 years in Salinas and Watsonville and San Jose stems from this, and in the prison yards too.. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. This event put into motion the longest-running gang war in the state of California. 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. When the five were transferred out of California, Gov. The murder was committed in retaliation for the attacks on the Arenda brothers. Maldonados mother wrote to the court that he entered the prison system as an immature young man and has been affected by prison life. Nuestra Familia ( Spanish for "our family") is a criminal organization of Mexican American ( Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. Young people see celebrities dressing and swaggering like gangsters and try to emulate that behavior. The indictment handed down onAugust 25, 2021, and unsealed today, catalogues a litany of crimes allegedly directed by the Nuestra Familias command structure incarcerated in California prisons. Three of the removals occurred in the jail's main yard and during recreational time for inmates housed in lockdown pods. As outlined in the indictment, membership in the NF involved a process of sponsorship, approval, and indoctrination. 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. The defendants are scheduled to make initial federal court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Nathanael Cousins and U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Sallie Kim today. Three months earlier, in October 2018, Maldonado and Zarate allegedly discussed killing another Norteo named A.R. for being strung out on heroin and consorting with a rival gang. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide. 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