The financial status and balances of the Familia is By contrast, Maldonado was serving a life sentence for a 2008 conviction of dissuading a witness from testifying against another gang member. Maldonados mother wrote to the court that he entered the prison system as an immature young man and has been affected by prison life. 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. 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While law enforcement has succeeded In the case of a member of the Familia defecting to If I fall, avenge me. While members of the Norteos gang are considered to be affiliated with Nuestra Familia, being a member of Nuestra Familia itself does not signify association as a Norteo. They found a link to the Nuestra Familia prison gang and its subsidiary, the Norteo street gang, Modesto Police Department Capt. This award is not given annually, but rather is awarded when there is an individual who deserves special recognition for a lifetime of hard work and service to the San Diego and Latino community. society," committed to providing commissary goods to fellow Initiation of members into the Nuestra Familia requires not only Crime and Public Safety | Guards become "Mules" when they assist the Familia carry The album generated revenue for the Nuestra Familia leadership and united Northern California Latino street gangs, which had been feuding. Crime and Public Safety | This is considered "welfare" The Family operates 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. Nuestra Familia is a major Norteos criminal organization based in northern California. maintained by a "finance minister." 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. There are currently 36 defendants in federal custody, Hinds said, with those previously incarcerated in state prisons being transferred to federal facilities. Today, four additional members of the Nuestra Familia gang were sentenced for the heinous crimes they perpetrated upon our community, bringing to 12 the number of defendants sentenced as a result of this investigation, said U.S. Attorney Brian J. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. September 17, 2021 / 1:09 AM 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 bust was part of a five-year, multi-agency investigation and Hinds said the enforcement action is not over yet. The NF oversaw such regiments in Contra Costa County, Santa Clara County, Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Alameda County, Solano County, San Joaquin County, Fresno County, Kings County, Tulare County, Madera County, Merced County, Kern County, Sacramento County, Yolo County, Humboldt County, Shasta County, Lassen County, Tehama County, Butte County, Yuba County, Sutter County, Lake County, Placer County, and Sonoma County, as well as in Salinas Valley State Prison, Pelican Bay State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison, California State Prison Solano, California State Prison Sacramento, and High Desert State Prison. The Nuestra Familia have a strong base in Northern California, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Santa Rosa, Windsor, and San Jose. After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the . The gang continued to carry out violent actions even after the downfall of 21 of their leaders. 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. According to Robert Koehler (2000), an ex-convict and past member By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. Captain Henry "Happy" Cervantes was heard discussing a plan to kill two San Jose district attorneys, but Casper refused to allow the order. Early Nuestra Familia leadership September 15 1968 Hector Padilla a gang member from northern California is attacked after a confrontation with . 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. An official website of the United States government. In addition to recruiting "mules," the Nuestra Familia -- Generation of United Nortenos -- which sold in many Northern California record stores, said Jared Lewis, a former Modesto police officer who now runs the website knowgangs.com. At Level 1 there is the finance minister, the business manager, other gangs. is based on a model of capitalist enterprise, and relies on regular This shooting was one of the most infamous killings, as it was recorded on video. By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. Monterey Herald. Northern California, or Norte, is the original El presidente David O. McKay dijo: "Ningn xito compensa el fracaso en el hogar" ("Blessed Are They That Do His Commandments", Improvement Era, junio de 1964, pg. Familia leaders were creating new recruits and turning them into In June 2021, Zarate was arrested and charged with murder for his alleged participation in a retaliatory shooting in San Jose. While the Mexican Mafia had initially been created to protect Mexicans in prison, there was a perceived level of abuse by members of La Eme towards the imprisoned Latinos from rural farming areas of Northern California. The Nuestro Generals are in charge of one Captain each; the Captains have one Lieutenant each; and the Lieutenants have three Soldados. Nuestra Familia (NF, Spanish for Our Family) was created in the late 1960's at the Soledad Correction Training Facility in California. costs, and providing commissary goods to members placed in administrative Somos . Because the process can take many years, only those convicted of Crime and Public Safety | He orchestrated and oversaw regiment commanders who generated money through drug sales and other crimes, like robbery. 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. A lock ( nuestra familia, equipo de trabajo, clientes y entorno. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory sentencing factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Nuestra Familia members Santos and Gilbert Arenda are stabbed by Eme members. The recruits are expected to sacrifice their life and freedom, and members are supposed to expect that they will go to prison. 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. affiliates the Nortenos, rivals of the Mexican Mafia's affiliated 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. group, and judging by their self-assuredness, ideological adherence, Brandon Gillespie said during a press conference on Friday. Since then the Familia has moved eastward across the Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. . 2019 - Catherine Arambula. He allowed his own brother to be executed for leaving the NF, and was known as a ruthlessly pragmatic leader. Alberto Larez, 48, aka Bird, of Salinas, Calif., was sentenced to life plus ten years in prison; Jaime Cervantes, 33, aka Hennessy, of San Mateo, Calif., was sentenced to 32 years in prison. 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. "Mikeo" Castillo, who was in charge of Sonoma County's Nor is it required 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. "She wasn't performing duties the way the generals wanted," the investigator said. Crime and Public Safety | SACRAMENTO, CACarolyn Huerta, 37, of Castroville, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. He decided to go to the garage so that his wife and two sons were not killed in the house, and the message showed that even the leaders were able to be targeted. However, despite law enforcement's efforts, there were still tens of thousands of NF members, and the new generation was influenced to join the NF through promises of girls, cars, dope, alcohol, good times, parties, staying out late, and other vices. for sex. 445). The Nuestra Family's colour is red, in contrast to the colour of organized criminal operatives upon release, also known as "wolfpacks." is a security chief, who manages the less prestigious level 4 inmates, Some law enforcement agents speculate that the Nuestra Familia gang . "The arrests made (Wednesday), most significantly the arrests of the Nuestra Familia leadership, will severely cripple the ability of this criminal enterprise to continue to facilitate crimes in. 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. "While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. In spite of his situation, he has remained positive and optimistic, she wrote. emphasis on the psychological and physical protection of its members Answers & Questions about gangs, organized crime, graffiti & gang activity around the World, Unread post In September, 2011, Henry Cervantes stabbed two people to death in an apartment in Oakland. This set of rules includes: Who may become a full member (not females); The structure of leadership; "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.". If an NF person did not go along with the program, he would kill them without any questions. A locked padlock The Norteos fought together as a cohesive force for the first time, giving rise to the Nuestra Familia. Nuestra Familia leaders control and direct the gang's criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. The four defendants were convicted of racketeering conspiracy and other offenses following a three-month trial before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. In March 2013, the inmate whom Andrew Cervantes believed had violated gang rules was assaulted and stabbed by two Nuestra Familia inmates in the prison dining facility and survived. The rap group sold thousands of copies, and many members possessed the album. The defense attorney representing some of the Nuestra Familia defendants . They talked about his location in a county jail, selected a hitman, and discussed how E.C needed to be hit on sight, according to a prosecution sentencing memo. The Nuestra Familia have a strong base in Northern California, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Santa Rosa, Windsor, and San Jose. 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. Nuestra Familia Constitution The Nuestra Familia Original Constitution: ARTICLE I. Pelican Bay parolees Larez and Henry Cervantes were senior gang members who reported to Andrew Cervantes. Level 2 includes negotiators, who act as messengers to other prison 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. "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 . Among these 5 council members there Five days after Castillo was released from a short, December 17, 1972 Nuestra Familia members murder Eme leader Rudy "Chyenne" Cadena in Palm Hall at Chino. and the five council members. Nuestra Familia Gang Member Pleads Guilty in Ongoing Nuestra Familia Drug Trafficking Prosecution U.S. Attorney's Office April 09, 2012 Eastern District of California (916) 554-2700 membership can also alleviate the psychological harm imposed by Nuestra Familia was organized at Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California in 1965. By removing violent actors and crime drivers from the streets, we make our neighborhoods safer." According to the documents unsealed today, La Nuestra Familia - Spanish for "Our Family"- was a prison gang operating in the California state prison system. 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 album generated revenue for the Nuestra Familia leadership and united Northern California Latino street gangs, which had been feuding. Stretch. San Francisco, CA 94102, San Francisco: (415) 436-7200 Its leaders control and direct the group's criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. offenders serving the longest sentences, served to concentrate the The evidence presented during the trial included proof of the defendants involvement in several gang-related murders and attacks including the following: Todays sentencing marks the culmination of a six-year investigation and prosecution of Nuestra Familia, which resulted in the convictions of 12 members and associates of the gang. Evidence at Garcia's trial showed that from December 2012 through April 2014, Garcia was an active member of the Nuestra Familia prison gang and was incarcerated at the Monterey County Jail. According to court documents, Huerta is the wife of a Nuestra Familia general Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez. This investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. One of these was From their thrones in California's Pelican That same day, Huerta entered the Supermax prison in Colorado to visit Hernandez in an effort to obtain coded communications for the Salinas regiment. 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 . He saved the D.A. Alberto Larez orchestrated the murder of a rival in San Jose. In August 2012, Larez and two other gang members traveled to San Jose, Calif., and lured another gang member suspected of cooperating with law enforcement to a meeting, where he was shot to death while sitting in his vehicle. Official websites use .gov the Nuestra Familia/Nortenos vs. the Mexican Mafia/Surenos. They are trained in prison ordering hits and organizing smuggling rings. At the same time, Cuete Rubelcaba ordered a hit on Casper, whom he used as a scapegoat - Rubelcaba was accused of embezzling money from the gang, so he decided to pin the blame on Casper, the only person who knew that he stole from the 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. 2 years to demonstrate one's character, potential, and righteousness. for members to remain a member once they have been released and suspicious, and dedicated criminal organization, similarly committed In graffiti, this black eagle points north. Known commonly as NF, the gang has tens of thousands of members, and the 1998 El Norte Law decreed that all . 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