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. All these sentences were as a result of police progress in curbing the gangs activities U.S Attorneys Office, (2013). Some law enforcement agents speculate that the Nuestra Familia gang, which operates in and out of prisons, influences much of the criminal activity of thousands of Norteo gang members in California. In one conversation, Castro told co-defendant Jesse Juarez, of Visalia, to arrange for an escort for drug smugglers they were working with, according to the criminal complaint. The police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) have been hunting down the gangs members so as to prosecute them. Manuel Gauna, Nuestra Familia member was given a more than 21 years sentence in prisonment on 21st April 2010 while Richard Mendoza was to serve 17.5 years in prison as at 13th December 2010. Two of the defendants face the death penalty for ordering murders related to the drug trade. Number #5 - The Aryan Brotherhood. In cases where a Nuestra Familia member refused to murder another member as ordered, he was too murdered. Rocky Bracamonte, 38, pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge involving his involvement with the Nuestra Familia, the prison gang that controls the Norteo street gang. U.S Department of Justice. 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Law enforcement authorities seized 40 pounds of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana, and dozens of firearms. Nuestra Familia (NF, Spanish for Our Family) was created in the late 1960's at the Soledad Correction Training Facility in California. Flavio Garza was a victim of this case as he refused to murder a fellow member. The remaining leadership of the organization in Pelican Bay consists of Daniel "Stork" Perez, Anthony "Chuco" Guillen and George "Puppet" Franco. 2008-2023 - Shore News Media & Marketing Ltd. Co. All rights reserved. In one call, co-defendants Samuel Luna and Eric Zarate allegedly discussed how Fox believed to be Bracamonte had paid around $4,500, while$1,500 was collected from the East Bay, $6,000 had come in from Fresno, and $6,000 from Contra Costa County. The gang has been involved in murders and home invasion burglaries in towns of Sacramento and San Jose. 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. 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. The senior ranking gang members were among those indicted. Nativa de Florida, fue votada como la ms probable para tener xito en su clase de graduacin. California prison officials describe illicit phones as one of the biggest security threats facing the states beleaguered prison system, with an estimated tens of thousands in circulation. The recordings of Mr. Yandells discussions with other AB members about the gangs criminal activities formed the cornerstone of this case.. Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. With its Hispanic- American inmate membership, the gang has had control in prisons and exercised the same control in streets. Santa Cruz-area Nuestra Familia dues collector Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new . Most of these killing have happened in prisons and in streets. While Nuestra Familia is primarily a Chicano gang, membership sometimes extends to other Latinos as well as non-Latinos. 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. These seven individuals for years led a violent and lucrative criminal organization from their prison cells. Other symbols include use of the number 14 or XIV, as the letter "N" is the 14th letter of the English alphabet. Federal charges announced for 55 California gang members Sep. 16, 2021 The specific charges for the various defendants range from federal racketeering to drug trafficking and murder, with. Allies of the Nuestra Familia include the Norteos, Bloods, Crips, Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel, Black Guerrilla Family and Bahala Na Gang. This set of rules includes: Who may become a full member (not females); The structure of leadership; Nuestra Familia was certified as disruptive group in 1994 by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The Mexican Mafia also wanted to curb the Nuestra Familia so that it could not grow once its members started being transferred to the San Quentin Maximum Prison Morales, (2008). Nuestra Familia is made up individuals called the Nortenos i.e. Some law enforcement agents speculate that the Nuestra Familia gang . This is considered "at the heart" of person-focused pay programs. It is assumed that phones are mostly smuggled into prisons by visitors and staff, who can collect fees upwards of $1,000 per phone. In an intercepted prison message, Nuestra Familia leaders explained that Crystal Morado was killed because she was no longer "functioning," according to a specialist who has investigated the gang for federal and state agencies for 15 years. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Los Angeles California communities have continued to face crime related activities due to gang activities, homelessness and poverty Willis, (2013). The defense, led by Bay Area-based defense attorney David Cohen, portrayed Bracamonte as a good person who has made serious mistakes and was led astray by methamphetamine addiction, and poor choices. The defense asked for a two-year stint at an addiction treatment facility in lieu of prison time. The coalition between federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the recent waves of Nuestra Familia gang violence formed three years ago. The indictment outlines each position according to the NF Constitution. Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. If I betray you, kill me.. In the recent Aryan Brotherhood case, attorney Robert McNamara is accused of smuggling a cellphone into a Sacramento prison during a privileged legal visit. 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. The other towns they were from were Sacramento and San Jose. Both cases follow a similar pattern: Authorities discovered high-ranking gang members had acquired cellphones in prison. SAN FRANCISCO -- Twenty-five members of the Nuestra Familia prison gang, including its 'general' and 'first captain,' have been indicted on conspiracy and racketeering charges -- including. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) has also played a key role in the prosecution and sentencing of Nuestra Familia members. After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the raids conducted. Nuestra Familia's written constitution allegedly states that no member should prioritize women, money or drugs over their membership in the gang. 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. Despite the high end security enforced put by the government laws, penitentiary guards have less power over the inmates as many prisoners are killed in the hands of their fellow prisoners due to gang orchestrated crimes Skarbek & Michaluk, (2015). Campbell, T. (2014). The end result was the creation of federal and state factions of the gang that continue to lock horns. The Bay Areas top federal prosecutor announced a sweeping array of indictments targeting the notorious Nuestra Familia prison gang, boasting that a five-year operation had culminated in a takedown of the organizations leadership responsible for an expanse of drug trafficking and brutal street violence spanning Northern California. She focused special attention to the seven members of what she described as the Nuestra Familia General Council, which she said ran a massive network across 28 California counties spanning Humboldt to Kern, with major activity centers in San Jose, Salinas and the Central Valley. California Nuestra Familia has grown due to the alliances it has with other gangs such as the Black Guerilla Family, incarcerated blood street gang members as well as African American street gangs and prison gangs. Some of the gangs originate from the streets and at times outgrow their activities. Both gangs are thought to be tied to hundreds of murders inside and outside of prison over the years. Between 1965 and 1967 many prisons were controlled by the California Mexican Mafia (EME) especially those under California Department of Corrections. In 2001, investigators uncovered that the Nuestra Familias leadership in Pelican Bay state prison was using sophisticated means of communication, such as glancing in a certain direction during a prison visit, to order murders, as author Julia Reynolds, a newspaper reporter in Salinas, detailed in her book Blood in the Fields.. In Californias oldest correctional facility i.e. Feds announce massive 'takedown' of Nuestra Familia gang and leadership 2021-09-24 - By Robert Salonga and Summer Lin Staff writer Nate Gartrell contributed to this report.. Some EME members were against victimization of Mexicans by fellow Mexicans. 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