If it comes to it we have no choice but if we have a choice in the matter, then let's make it the right choice. Operation Knockout began last year with gang intelligence from the Salinas Police Department and other local agencies, and soon was spearheaded by the California Department of Justices Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. [20] The remaining leadership of the organization in Pelican Bay consists of Daniel "Stork" Perez, Anthony "Chuco" Guillen and George "Puppet" Franco. [14] At the time of Operation Black Widow, law enforcement officials had estimated that Nuestra Familia was responsible for at least 600 murders in the previous 30 years. 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. [23] After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the raids conducted. Operation Black Widow. FBI informant Daniel Hernandez at a Nuestra Familia gang meeting in Rohnert Park. One incident that raises questions about the investigation involves FBI informant Joe Ybarra, through whom investigators tracked a revenge murder plot through the streets of Salinas but postponed making arrests; in the interim, a man was killed and his companion seriously wounded. "They almost become complicit in it," he said. Pelican Bay State Prison. In 2000 and 2001, 22 members were indicted on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges, including several who were allegedly serving as high-ranking gang leaders while confined in Pelican Bay. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The inmates who formed the Nuestra Familia gang banded together to protect themselves from the Mexican Mafia, but then grew to be involved in drug dealing, extortion and robbery.[17]. Taped conversations indicated that on Nov. 1, 1998, they planned to proceed with the killings. These seven individuals for years led a violent and lucrative criminal organization from their prison cells. Alberto "Bird" Larez was convicted in Operation Black Widow. In this weeks first upload of John Boxer Mendoza's book, Nuestra Familia: a broken paradigm, he describes how " Operation Black Widow "broke, who all the tar. FBI transcripts and court testimony revealed at least five revenge murders were discussed during several taped meetings. Amaro also faces life in federal prison. For more than 10 years, one of California's most brutal criminal organizations has been operating from behind the walls of the state's highest- security prison. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? He is now in protective custody at an unknown location. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, 36 of the defendants named in the indictments were already in state prison and have been moved to federal holding facilities. That strategy was challenged by former Deputy Assistant FBI Director Daniel O. Coulson, who led bureau anti-terrorism and organized crime teams from 1966 to 1997, and who defends the use of criminal informants as "worth the risk" to make difficult cases. Monterey County Assistant District Attorney Ann Hill, who prosecuted Hanrahan locally in 2007, said she was pleased to hear about the new charges because Hanrahan is due to be released from state prison in nine years or less. Everyone in the Salinas Nuestra Familia crew was arrested in the murder, except Hernandez, who continued to inform on the gang. At least 37 alleged gang members and associates were in custody after hours of coordinated raids across Monterey County, ending months of investigation that culminated in what some call the largest law enforcement operation ever to target the Nuestra Familia, one of the Wests most violent crime organizations. Operation Black Widow, where murders, assaults and drug trafficking were committed under the watch of two informants working for the government, fuels the debate. "The more successful your informant becomes in the gang, the better, the more information you get. 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If he is going to betray one group the gang what's going to stop him from betraying the second the government?". IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? As San Francisco lawyer Mark Zilversmit, an attorney for one of the indicted Nuestra Familia members, notes, "That operative who's now working for the government is going to have to do some pretty bad things. The deputies who arrested her were apparently unaware of the federal charges. If I stumble, push me. Teen girls arrested after allegedly riding scooters into San Francisco pedestrians, Internet personality Yo Pesci receives seven year sentence after flashing firearms on social media, Gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, Pollutants were released into San Jose rivers from construction firm, lawsuit claims. 3553. Main Office: Frias, 22, said that in addition to himself, others who received the guns included two gang members, who within months used the weapons in Salinas in a murder and an attempted murder. 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. A decade ago, the FBI"s Operation Black Widow targeted the gang"s top leaders in Pelican Bay State Prison, as well as its out-of-prison regiment commanders for Salinas and other agricultural. 4 Nuestra Familia gang members face life after, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), 4 Nuestra Familia gang members face life after indictment from Operation Valley Star, Avalanche engulfs two stories of Tahoe apartment building; evacuations are ordered, Nursing school admission can be a long wait in California. He has to in order to maintain credibility.". According to FBI records, Hernandez handed over the tape of the conversation and reported to his handlers immediately afterward. [14] Thirteen of the defendants pleaded guilty; the other cases are still ongoing. Read more about this topic: Nuestra Familia, It requires a surgical operation to get a joke well into a Scotch understanding. Before January the FBI had a policy of shielding its informants' identities from outside agencies. Government agents knew that working with such violent criminals was risky. [20], Eventually, three new generals came to power at Pelican Bay, yet two were demoted, leaving only David "DC" Cervantes as the highest-ranking member of the gang in California. In a $5 million crime-fighting effort dubbed Operation Black Widow, several Nuestra Familia members agreed to become FBI informants; they wanted protection when they found themselves on. According to the transcripts, the group discussed the purchase of black ski masks, gloves and walkie-talkies to be used for the hits, and even the type of bullets to be fired. 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. "It is extremely difficult to supervise the informant," said Steven Cohen, the former chief of the Violent Gangs Unit at the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York. She was served with an arrest warrant in the federal case against her on Thursday, officials said. Gallegos, 35, a onetime associate in Hanrahans Salinas gang crew, is charged with conspiracy like the others, and he also faces additional federal counts of using a telephone to further the conspiracy. In the weeks leading up to Lizard's arrest, Kayln . He told the young man that if he wanted to be recognized by Nuestra Familia, he could appeal to the generals. The end result was the creation of federal and state factions of the gang that continue to lock horns. 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", Hernandez then lectures Ramirez about how sometimes "we look the other way" when others are selling drugs, though "when they come and try to take over, that's different. A high-ranking Nuestra Familia gang leader from Salinas was arrested this week in an FBI takedown of one of the gang's largest street regiments, . [15] The gang's main sources of income are distributing cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine within prison systems as well as in the community and extorting drug distributors on the streets.[16]. He was due to be released soon from Corcoran state prison, prosecutors said, where he served time on a 2007 assault charge. The investigation into the outfit, which had been going on since 1997, got a break in December 2000, when Daniel "Lizard" Hernandez facing life in prison for charges that included murder plots in the course of a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) enterprise contacted the Special Services Unit of the California Department of Corrections to talk about becoming an informer. 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. 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. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest-ranking leaders of Nuestra Familia, James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez, were transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. Outstanding warrants remain on seven unnamed people. U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello said the mass arrests sent a direct message to the gangs followers: Stop the violence. He was convicted of. Details: In April 2010, federal and local law enforcement agencies concluded what was considered the most significant effort to dismantle the Central Coast leadership structure of Nuestra Familia. . He said, however, that the courts have generally given law enforcement leeway in their handling of informants, and Cohen agreed. While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. After serving NF for 20 years Viramontes had paroled, for good. In a jailhouse interview, Frias said that days before the shooting, he was present when a gang commander placed a cell phone call to Hernandez in which Hernandez authorized the hit. Ceasefire depends on following through on commitments that if the violence doesnt stop, force will be applied vigorously.. Operation Knockout: Gang raid targets Nuestra, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), CIF State boys basketball playoffs: Monterey rallies for win over Kingsburg, Operation Knockout: Gang raid targets Nuestra Familia in Salinas, Avalanche engulfs two stories of Tahoe apartment building; evacuations are ordered, Nursing school admission can be a long wait in California. Robert Sosa, at the time Nuestra Familia's General (or supreme commander), was man- dated to administer these resources to further collective interests but had in fact embezzled more than US$100,000 from the group's accounts. And John Boxer Mendoza wasn't some minor player, he was right up there under the top generals in the gang, working for them and implementing Nuestra Family policy. 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.. Five defendants in the Valley Star case have already undergone trials in Sacramento federal court, and all have been convicted of drug and conspiracy charges. Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California have declined to comment on the allegations in Zilversmit's filing. Federal Courthouse An official website of the United States government. Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Reach him the low-tech way at 408-920-5002. Two of the defendants face the death penalty for ordering murders related to the drug trade. [22], In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest-ranking leaders of Nuestra Familia, James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez, were transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. But trying to supervise violent criminals is akin to "dancing with the devil.". 1943), The report reflects incredibly terrible judgments, shockingly sparse concern for human life, instances of officials lacking the courage to exercise the responsibilities of their high office and some very bewildering thought processes.Jane Jarrell Smith, U.S. widow of American astronaut Michael J. Smith. Robert Salonga is a Bay Area News Group reporter who covers criminal justice and public safety for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. The attack occurred in October 1998, after a gangster was shot and wounded as part of a Nuestra Familia internal power struggle in Salinas. A high-ranking Nuestra Familia gang leader from Salinas was arrested this week in an FBI takedown of one of the gang's largest street regiments, federal officials said. [21] Nuestra Familia members often use the image of a sombrero with a machete as their gang symbol. "Together, the government and Hernandez ran the street operations, installing a new organization, promoting and demoting members, setting up gun and drug deals, and espousing a philosophy of violence that eventually led to the death of a rival drug dealer, Raymond Sanchez," Zilversmit wrote in a 51-page statement filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in support of his motion to dismiss charges against his client, Armando "Suave" Heredia. Over the past decade there have been several high-profile cases in which law enforcement involvement with informants has resulted in legal problems, including the prosecution of El Rukn gang members in Chicago. At one point in the transcript, Ramirez and Hernandez are talking about whether to beat up or kill the intended victim, and Ramirez remarks: "Might as well kill the mother -- if it's for a third strike." "Nuestra Familia will be back," says law enforcement gang consultant and former Modesto Police Officer Jared Lewis. In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest ranking leaders of Nuestra Familia, James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez, were transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. Experts say the new guidelines were designed to provide outside checks and balances for the FBI without hindering agents' ability to do their jobs. This book on the prison gang, Nuestra Familia is very in depth and gives a firsthand true account of one man's life in the gang. The charges pending against these defendants are as follows: 21 U.S.C. The gangsters stopped in front of an apartment building, and Nuestra Familia member Paul Salcido and an associate got out of the car and ducked into an alley. He later admitted the "golf" trip was to deliver two pounds of methamphetamine to a cousin. In the Black Widow investigation, more than 20 gang members or associates have become informants or have agreed to testify against others in the case. [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. But, according to current and former FBI agents, ensuring that informants comply with such orders can be difficult. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. When confronted about unauthorized trips, Hernandez said he slipped away without permission to play golf in Stockton. For the FBI, infiltrating such an organization from the outside was virtually impossible. 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. Northern District of California A check of her cell phone showed gang indicia, the report said, referring to photos of gang members. This event put into motion the longest-running gang war in the state of California. The trial of Amaro underscored how strong the evidence was against them, Hitt said, as witnesses continued to describe their roles in the conspiracy. This is a carousel. Credit: Janjaap Dekker FBI informant Daniel Hernandez at a Nuestra Familia gang meeting in Rohnert Park. The operation was conducted with the help of a highly connected inside source -- Daniel Hernandez, the street general who had confirmed that the green light . Attorney General Brown disagreed, saying he learned when he was mayor of Oakland that only constant suppression works with hard-core gang members. Nuestra Familia (Spanish for "our family") is a criminal organization of Mexican American (Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. Before Ybarra and other gang members arrived at Gallegos' apartment, police parked a patrol unit near the building, according to police and FBI documents. According to trial testimony, Salcido slipped on gloves and a ski mask, entered the apartment complex and fatally shot Geronimo Garza, 41, who was not named in revenge discussions taped by the FBI, and wounded Maria Lopez, now 43. One "test" a prospective member must pass to join Nuestra Familia is to have committed at least one murder for "the cause," according to a gang investigator with the state Corrections Department as well as Al Valdez, an investigator with the Orange County district attorney's office and a gang consultant with the state attorney general's office. It was not immediately disclosed how many of the 19 remaining defendants were arrested in the law-enforcement sweeps this week. [21] Other symbols include use of the number 14 or XIV, as the letter "N" is the 14th letter of the English alphabet. According to court documents, high-ranking Nuestra Familia members Salvador Castro, Jr. and Raymond Lopez used contraband cell phones from inside Fresno County's Pleasant Valley State Prison to . . Salinas police sources say the FBI never passed on information about who had the guns, and Frias says that a number of the weapons are still in use today. You have a potential disaster waiting to happen," Cohen said. Law enforcement's use of informants is controversial. Four Monterey County Nuestra Familia gang associates face life in federal prison after their indictment in connection with the governments sweeping 2007 gang conspiracy case known as Operation Valley Star. Soon after, prison investigators confiscated a letter from her to an inmate, saying she and Hanrahan planned to marry in June 2008. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California has not followed: What should you do? In legal motions filed over the past four weeks, defense attorneys for 15 alleged members of the Nuestra Familia the prison gang that governs the Northern California-based Norteo and. The gang has strict categories of military-style membership ranks, ranging from a Category One member, who might strive to be the "regiment commander" of a city, to Category Three, one of only three positions on the gang's governing board in Pelican Bay. It should bring them some reality that its not romantic at all.. Robert was a member of the Bay Area News Group reporting team awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for East Bay Times coverage of the fatal "Ghost Ship" fire. One of those was Armando Frias, the triggerman who pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced in late October to a term of 29 years to life. "Courts tend to say this may well be something that should be policed internally, but they haven't been ready to give the benefit to defendants," Cohen said. Hill said she hoped the life sentences the defendants face will deter gang-involved youth from deeper involvement. That case, as well as revelations about how a mob informant, James "Whitey" Bulger, was protected by some agents while he was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, led the Justice Department to set new guidelines for their agents in the handling of informants in January 2001. The leadership vacuum resulted in a power struggle between prospective generals. In the late 1990s, law enforcement officials put into action the only plan that could crack open the violent criminal enterprise -- getting someone from the inside to turn on his brethren. [1] In the late 1960s, Mexican-American inmates of the California state prison system began to separate into two rival groups, Nuestra Familia[14] and the 1957-formed Mexican Mafia, according to the locations of their hometowns (the north-south dividing line is Delano, California). For years, investigators have observed Huerta visiting Hernandez in jails and prisons and then delivering messages to local gang members. But by April 2001, government agents began to lose control of their prized informant. Police heard shots and screaming and swarmed the alley, where they arrested Salcido and other gang members. At least one of those sought had Santa Cruz County ties, and several others were targeted in the San Jose area, authorities said. But if you step back what does he have to do to move up in the gang? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. [8] Renewed organization 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Under the guidelines, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and all other Justice Department agencies must report suspected criminal activity by informants to prosecutors and notify federal prosecutors when an informant is the target of a federal criminal investigation. The court also may order additional terms of supervised release, fines, and restitution. And that price is going to be your freedom, said District Attorney Dean Flippo. 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 . Authorities seized 40 pounds of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana, as well as other drugs. Katz said that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that such an argument could hypothetically be used to overturn a conviction, but it has yet to rule in favor of any defendant making that kind of case. By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. Lock The allegations about the way Operation Black Widow handled the case are based on information from the government's discovery documents, Zilversmit said. The more time you can get on someone whos in the hierarchy the better it is, because its less of an incentive to the young ones who see this as a romantic choice of lifestyle, she said. And the right choice is looking away.". One local police officer, however, was skeptical of the lawyer's claims. He quoted a California Department of Corrections memo describing the gang's activities from January through the spring of 2001: "All operations were at direction of OBW [Operation Black Widow] staff with [a Special Services Unit Special Agent's] concurrence and were monitored with audio/video equipment and personnel.". The Nuestra Familia was not recognized as a prison gang by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation until 1979. He could only participate in crimes approved by his FBI handlers, such as planned drug and gun purchases. The perpetration of violence and other crimes was ordinarily a prerequisite to entrance, continued membership, and advancement in the organization. Operation Quiet Storm was the culmination of more than 5 years of complex investigative work. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Jerry Brown and a host of officials announced the results of the action Thursday. If I betray you, kill me.. Among the six men and women indicted March 10 on charges of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana for the gang were Castroville resident Carolyn Huerta, as well as Salinas residents Robert Bubba Hanrahan, Juan Wino Gallegos and Rebecca Guzman. Operation Black Widow Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate the group, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. Well as other drugs for years, investigators have observed Huerta visiting Hernandez jails! ] Nuestra Familia will be back, '' Cohen said about this topic Nuestra! An inmate, saying she and Hanrahan planned to proceed with the killings crimes was ordinarily a to. Defendants named in the law-enforcement sweeps this week Area News group reporter who criminal... Arrest warrant in the murder, except Hernandez, who continued to inform on the gang, report! Suppression works with hard-core gang members assault conviction, giving her one strike under Californias Three law. 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And gun purchases is a Bay Area News group reporter who covers justice. Seven individuals for years led a violent and lucrative criminal organization from the outside was impossible. & # x27 ; s arrest, Kayln have to do to move up in the gang what 's to! An official website of the federal charges group the gang what 's going to be soon... 'S claims, ensuring that informants comply with such orders can be difficult in handling... Can be difficult choice is looking away. `` violence on our streets information only on official, websites. In operation Black Widow 40 pounds of methamphetamine to a cousin to one... Later admitted the `` golf '' trip was to deliver two pounds of marijuana, well... By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our operation black widow nuestra familia generals methamphetamine to a cousin shielding its informants identities! ; s arrest, Kayln raids conducted criminals is akin to `` dancing with the killings a joke into! 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