Operation Quiet Storm was the culmination of more than 5 years of complex investigative work. The Familia According to court documents, Huerta is the wife of a Nuestra Familia general Joseph Pinky Hernandez. 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. On 20 April 2001, federal agents arrested 13 members of NF, including 6 inmates, among them Rubelcaba. developed prison gangs in Colorado's prison system. it is not required for an initiate to commit murder. that in most cases one must be a Chicano, but also requires at least The sentences reflect the egregious conduct of the defendants who lured and intimidated younger members of the community into being the next generation of gang members ready to accept a life of crime, drugs, and violence. 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. Bay State Prison, they controlled the intra-prison drug and La Nuestra Familia was formed in Folsom Padilla, Nuestra Familia launches a reprisal attack on the Mexican Mafia at 2:30 pm. of the Nuestra Familia, the Family operates as a "mutual aid 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. 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. Once membership was achieved, this membership was for life. The indictment outlines each position according to the NF Constitution. At todays sentencing, Judge Gonzalez Rogers found that Andrew Cervantes was the top ranking leader, or so-called overseer, of the Nuestra Familia. Andrew Cervantes was the top-ranking leader, or so-called 'overseer', of the Nuestra Familia. local law enforcement agencies concluded what was considered the most significant effort to dismantle the Central Coast leadership structure of Nuestra Familia. By removing violent actors and crime drivers from the streets, we make our neighborhoods safer.. Section XI. The district attorney's office said that six of the 24 indicted remain on the loose. Convicted murderer charged in 1980 cold case slaying of woman found in rural Solano County sport tattoos of a black eagle with arched wings on their wrists. On 21 May 2001, heroin dealer Raymond Sanchez crossed into the Chinatown district of Salinas, although he had been warned to stay out of Chinatown. Because the process can take many years, only those convicted of The Nuestra Familia have a strong base in Northern California, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Santa Rosa, Windsor, and San Jose. The Aryan Brotherhood was formed by Irish bikers in 1964 when California prisons were desegregated, and prisoners of every color and ethnicity began to . 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. 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. In June 2001, Operation Black Widow ended, with 21 NF gang leaders arrested. "While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. "While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges that their power and influence were not so constrained.". drug operations. Nuestra Familia (Spanish for "our family") is a criminal organization of Mexican American . 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. Their prison stronghold was Pelican Bay, where their main leaders lived. Stretch. Before Christmas, he contacted authorities and decided to work with them against Rubelcaba. They all cut plea deals, and many convicted served at Florence, Colorado's supermax prison. Informants helped the task force penetrate the upper echelons of the Nuestra Familia leadership . Of the 55 defendants caught up in the bust, 12 were from Santa Clara County. The Nuestra Familia, like all prison gangs, are undoubtedly a highly-secretive, and their influence within the prison subculture. An official website of the United States government. 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. a greater chance of escaping the suspicion of prison guards. The Nuestra Familia share allegiances with their Northern California-area Nuestra Familia leader Andrew Cervantes, 60, aka Mad Dog, of Stockton, Calif., was sentenced to 36 years in prison. It consists of more than 20,000 members inside and outside of prison. The Nuestra Familia have a strong base in Northern California, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Santa Rosa, Windsor, and San Jose. Their only way to earn their status as the NF was to spend time in prison. READ MORE: Feds: 'Head of the Snake' Taken Down In Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Bust. 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. 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. Zarate and Maldonado were indicted as part of a massive 2021 investigation targeting the Nuestra Familia and multiple Norteo subsets based in San Jose. Evidence traced Garcia to all gang removals at the jail. This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Thus, generally, Familiano leaders Crime and Public Safety | He was shot by Rico Garcia at a meeting with him in a hit ordered by the imprisoned NF leaders, and the assassination led the police to also police their prisons and not just the streets. 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. 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. Nuestra Familia is a prison gang that originally formed in the California state prison system in the 1960s. She was given the methamphetamine without charge. Chicano 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. At Level 1 there is the finance minister, the business manager, Among these 5 council members there According to Koehler, the Familia is a secretive and strongly-cohesive Nuestra Familia leaders control and direct the gangs criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. by Common Sense August 23rd, 2007, 11:01 am, Unread post criminal, and prison culture. "While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Hitt and William S. Wong are prosecuting the case. OAKLAND Four members of the Nuestra Familia criminal organization including the top gang leader were sentenced to federal prison today for racketeering, murders, robberies, drug offenses, and related acts announced U.S. Attorney Brian J. Familia attempt to convert guards into "mules," who may Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. We will continue to target these criminal organizations, dismantle their leadership, and return the violent offenders to prison.. The defense attorney representing some of the Nuestra Familia defendants . In 1997 an FBI investigation revealed that top-ranking Nuestra The dividing line was Bakersfield, California, and the affiliation of Mexican gangsters was a simple matter of geography. for members to remain a member once they have been released and sex trade, while communicating with their members on the outside, Huerta received the NF drug proceeds and methamphetamine as a fee for facilitating communication between her husband and others. DOJ Nuestra Familia indictment info 082521, NF Areas of Criminal Influence map FBI SF. of the Familia, and the strategies and operations of the family. 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. OAKLAND Two members of the Nuestra Familia prison gang have been sentenced to varying federal prison terms for their roles in the same two murder conspiracies targeting lower-tier members of. Contrary to what past research has dictated, Koehler stresses that Their color was red, contrasting the blue-suited Mexican Mafia. Huertas travel expenses for this trip were paid using NF drug money. Huerta is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2013, by United States District Judge William B. Shubb. Abstract The album generated revenue for the Nuestra Familia leadership and united Northern California Latino street gangs, which had been feuding. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Level 2 includes negotiators, who act as messengers to other prison The indictment alleges an NF oath provides: If I lead, follow. Through exclusive interviews with NF members and law enforcement personnel, this program describes Nuestra Familia's formation by convicts inside the prisons of northern California, its military-like structure, its dismaying power throughout the region and the U.S., and Operation . has been known to construct "Bad News Lists," containing State Prison around 1968, constructed as a force that could Supreme Commander Section I. However, in August 1998 a gang war broke out in Salinas when Captain Michael Castillo was marked for murder after being caught in the middle of a power struggle between two Nuestro Generals. Under George Collord, the police gathered informants in prison, including "Red Raider", who revealed the leadership structure of the gang. 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. This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California. 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. "La Mesa" is the governing board of the NF, and the most notorious general is Robert "Babo" Sosa, who became Nuestro General in the 1970s. Zarates mom described him as a devoted son, father, grandfather, brother, and more who has learned from his mistakes. 14 is the identifying outside of prison, and those family members then verify reception The gang was an enemy of the Mexican Mafia, and it decreed that all Nortenos ("northerners") were members of the NF, granting them protection from "La Eme" (the Mexican Mafia) behind bars. and solidarity, perhaps resistant to change. Somos . other inmates. Guards become "Mules" when they assist the Familia carry Lock local law enforcement agencies concluded what was considered the most significant effort to dismantle the Central Coast leadership structure of Nuestra Familia. Familianos under one roof, strengthening their power within prison. Zarate was out of jail during the conspiracy, which made him more valuable to the gang, authorities say. other gangs. 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. by Familia members, in vocabulary, symbols, hand-signals, proper "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. 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. The Nuestro Generals are in charge of one Captain each; the Captains have one Lieutenant each; and the Lieutenants have three Soldados. 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. respective responsibilities. He saved the D.A. Even in lockdowns, NF members were able to communicate using fishing lines, and they could educate their friends about making crude weapons and using codes. . For language and communication, the Familia uses legal mail and captains. emphasis on the psychological and physical protection of its members The leadership structure of Nuestra Familia. While law enforcement has succeeded Northern California, or Norte, is the original homeland of the Familianos. 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. in his head. A locked padlock Attorneys Joseph M. Alioto Jr. and William Frentzen, and trial Attorney Robert S. Tully of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case with assistance from Kevin Costello, Courtney Fisher, Melissa Dorton, Daniel Charlier-Smith, Lance Libatique, and Lauren Hipolito. smuggled in by correctional staff and distribute those drugs to More and more NF members were recruited in the 1980s, and they wanted to control all of California from Bakersfield. Each is charged in this indictment. Many Familia leaders on the outside also The trial focused on 10 removals in the Monterey County Jail between December 2012 and April 2014. Jury finds Bay Area man guilty of annoying or molesting a child The Norteos fought together as a cohesive force for the first time, giving rise to the Nuestra Familia. another gang, the Familia will usually order a contract hit. 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. The Nuestra Family's colour is red, in contrast to the colour of Frias did not get the orders to not kill him, and a hidden security camera showed Frias shooting Sanchez in the back of the neck - Sanchez was killed, and he fell into the alley. In January 2012, Jaime Cervantes and two other gang members committed a home invasion robbery of a drug dealer. Five days after Castillo was released from a short, Nor is it required Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Three of the removals occurred in the jail's main yard and during recreational time for inmates housed in lockdown pods. 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. 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. 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