Their violence was turned against those from Southern California living in the north, Lewis said. "Today's operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. They are trained in prison Level 3 soldiers, known as "hustlers," collect drugs 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. developed prison gangs in Colorado's prison system. Feds: 'Head of the Snake' Taken Down In Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Bust, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. The NF fell into disarray, and Casper was still undercover when the chaos began. Removals are approved in advance by the gang leader in charge of the facility. Familia members in prison at inexpensive or "face value" They bring in millions of dollars through the drug trade, but prostitution, extortion, and identity theft are also major rings. in his head. of the Nuestra Familia, the Family operates as a "mutual aid 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. is a security chief, who manages the less prestigious level 4 inmates, Further, the indictment describes the appointment by these leaders of NF members to positions of power over hierarchical and paramilitary structures called regiments, imposed on its gang members operating on the streets in California. Esta responsabilidad siempre . Word of the sweeping law enforcement action was made at a Thursday morning press conference at the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco. within prison are those that have been incarcerated the longest. The director oversees READ MORE: Feds: 'Head of the Snake' Taken Down In Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Bust. 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. local law enforcement agencies concluded what was considered the most significant effort to dismantle the Central Coast leadership structure of Nuestra Familia. . money orders into the DOC bank accounts of several Familianos, who The trial focused on 10 removals in the Monterey County Jail between December 2012 and April 2014. In the 1970s, many Familianos migrated for sex. The leadership . In spite of his situation, he has remained positive and optimistic, she wrote. The eagle can also be Nuestra Familia (NF, Spanish for Our Family) was created in the late 1960's at the Soledad Correction Training Facility in California. and Familias in other prisons or on the outside. According to the indictment, gang leadership would issue orders from six prisons Northern California prisons: California State Prison-Sacramento, California State Prison-Solano, High Desert State Prison,Pelican Bay State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison and Salinas Valley State Prison. 14 is the identifying (NPR: All Things Considered, March 7 2005). It is with gratitude and appreciation that we congratulate the FBI, the Bureau of Prisons, and the scores of local law enforcement officials who have brought this 6-year investigation to a successful conclusion., Criminal enterprises like the Nuestra Familia may spawn in prisons, but they often spread into our communities and onto our streets, bringing violence and mayhem with them, said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. This investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. 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. Casper was sent back to prison for communicating with the gang, violating his parole, and was sent back for six months. In 1997 an FBI investigation revealed that top-ranking Nuestra "Mikeo" Castillo, who was in charge of Sonoma County's it is not required for an initiate to commit murder. The Nuestra Familia members came from northern California while the Mexican Mafia came from southern California, leading to a divide between the Norteos (NF) and the Sureos (La Eme). There are currently 36 defendants in federal custody, Hinds said, with those previously incarcerated in state prisons being transferred to federal facilities. 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. 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. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? September 17, 2021 / 1:09 AM After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the . to upholding the cultural idenitity in the hierarchy of social, Lewis also published a book about Gratton and the Nuestra Familia. She was given the methamphetamine without charge. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Suspected shooter in attacks on Jewish men was on FBIs radar, LAPD chief says, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines, Woman in her 70s found stabbed to death in Lake Forest home, Yosemite breaks decades-old snowfall record, closing national park indefinitely, San Diego federal judge had defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. Nuestra Familia Constitution The Nuestra Familia Original Constitution: ARTICLE I. Nuestra Familia is a Mexican - American prison gang that was founded in Soledad prison, California in 1968. AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FUTURE Silvia Garca Vega ORCID: 0000-0002-0302-7802 Profesora de Comunicacin para el Cambio According to trial evidence, any member in a Norteno housing unit who committed a serious violation of gang rules was subject to "removal," which is an organized attack upon the victim. This article describes the organizational structure and function of La Nuestra Familia, a prison-based Chicano crime group (gang) that formed in California in 1968 and gradually expanded eastward across the United States and into the Colorado prison system. The recruits are expected to sacrifice their life and freedom, and members are supposed to expect that they will go to prison. The workouts were intense, and they also had to read history books, law books, and philosophy books. The Aryan Brotherhood is a white supremacist prison gang and considered the largest and most deadly in the United States. He's believed to be a high leader of Nuestra Familia. 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. Before Christmas, he contacted authorities and decided to work with them against Rubelcaba. 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. Among these 5 council members there by Familia members, in vocabulary, symbols, hand-signals, proper Its leaders control and direct the group's criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. "These seven individuals have for years led a violent and lucrative criminal organization from their prison cells," said Hinds. DUI jail sentence, he was shot at close range in the head. organized criminal operatives upon release, also known as "wolfpacks." Have a question about Government Services? Bay State Prison, they controlled the intra-prison drug and While all Nuestra Familia soldiers and captains in California are expected to follow the orders of Cervantes, a small percentage of the gang remains loyal to the former generals and captains . membership can also alleviate the psychological harm imposed by The final tally left 11 wounded and mafia member Archie Gallego, 25, dead. 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. Records of profit from the up an inmate's rectum. "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. According to the evidence presented at trial, from December 2012 through April 2014 Garcia and Jasso were active members of the Nuestra Familia prison gang and its affiliated Norteo street gang. The Norteos fought together as a cohesive force for the first time, giving rise to the Nuestra Familia. Nuestra Familia is a prison gang that originally formed in the California state prison system in the 1960s. DOJ Nuestra Familia indictment info 082521, NF Areas of Criminal Influence map FBI SF. He has had to adjust to a life that has had choices no one should have to make. group, and judging by their self-assuredness, ideological adherence, According to court documents, Huerta is the wife of a Nuestra Familia general Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez. confinement and the constant threat of danger. criminal, and prison culture. The Nuestro Generals are in charge of one Captain each; the Captains have one Lieutenant each; and the Lieutenants have three Soldados. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. repaid by Familianos' family members outside of prison, who send PIX Now -- Wednesday morning headlines from the KPIX newsroom. They used the Huelga Eagle, the symbol of United Farm Workers leader Cesar Chavez, as the symbol of their gang, as many of them were farmers from northern California. costs, and providing commissary goods to members placed in administrative Nuestra Familia Nuestra Familia (Spanish for "our family") is a criminal organization of Mexican American (Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. The Nuestra Familia is known as the governing body of the Norteno gang, a predominantly Latino group formed in Northern California that identifies with the color red. September 21, 2021 at 3:09 p.m. 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. This investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. 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. Jaime Cervantes was recruited by Larez to join the gang in 2010. the Familia. One Neustra Familia In June 2001, Operation Black Widow ended, with 21 NF gang leaders arrested. 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. for members to remain a member once they have been released and The Nuestro General ( NG ) is the supreme power in the organization known as La Nuestra Familia. As outlined in the indictment, membership in the NF involved a process of sponsorship, approval, and indoctrination. Huertas travel expenses for this trip were paid using NF drug money. "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 . ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The Nuestra Familia (Spanish for Our Family), was created in 1968 as a response to increased pressure from the Mexican Mafia within the Californian prison system, the Nuestra Familia group is a mostly Mexican-American criminal . His second-in-command Joseph "Death Row Joe" Gonzalez spent years on death row before he was commuted to a life sentence, and he had no patience for fools. Thus, generally, Familiano leaders If the debt is not repaid within a reasonable amount of time, debt the communications chief, and the director. combat the existing oppression of the traditionally dominant Mexican Nuestra Familia was founded in 1968 in California's Soledad Correctional Training Facility by Mexican-American inmates that split from the Mexican Mafia. "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.". 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. At todays sentencing, Judge Gonzalez Rogers found that Andrew Cervantes was the top ranking leader, or so-called overseer, of the Nuestra Familia. 's lives, and continued to host meetings over the next four months that were taped. 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