Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. 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. Police heard shots and screaming and swarmed the alley, where they arrested Salcido and other gang members. "You're going to have this guy out there if he's going to be credible as the leader of a violent prison gang, he's going to have to be encouraging all kinds of violent acts.". One of the handguns distributed by Armando Santa cruz while he was regiment commander of Salinas 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. Operation Quiet Storm was the culmination of more than 5 years of complex investigative work. The day before the killing, gang subordinate Martin Ramirez discussed the enemy with Hernandez, who was wearing a recording device. 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. A preliminary examination in that case is scheduled for April 1. Salazar was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday and Pereda was due to be released soon from a federal prison. Todays operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. Two of the defendants face the death penalty for ordering murders related to the drug trade. They saw today what happens, Schwarzenegger said. Martin Ramirez, right, in Monterey County Court, with Sgt. 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. both faced life sentences in the FBI's sweeping Operation Black Widow conspiracy case in 2000. The suspects, under heavy surveillance, roamed Salinas with loaded weapons for several days. He told the young man that if he wanted to be recognized by Nuestra Familia, he could appeal to the generals. Huerta, too, has been under the lens of law enforcement for nearly a decade. In scale and ambition, the operation dwarfs the two largest cases against the Nuestra Familia: Operation Black Widow ended in 2005, and Operation Valley Star led to a massive trial. Lock Subpoenaed phone records show that an eight-minute call was placed from a Salinas gang member's cell phone to Hernandez five days before the killing, but there is no FBI report or transcript of the call to indicate he had taped it, as required by the informant's agreement with the FBI. But by April 2001, government agents began to lose control of their prized informant. The operation began in 1997 under the leadership of the FBI and involved nearly 30 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Agency; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the state Department of Corrections; five district attorneys' offices and police departments of San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Salinas, San Jose, Visalia, Modesto, Tracy, Stockton and Watsonville, among others. [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. For links to documents cited in this story, go to the Center for Investigative Reporting website. As quoted in Newsweek magazine, p. 13 (June 30, 1986). In December 2000, Hernandez struck a deal with the FBI. More than 200 law enforcement agents and officers took part in the sweeps, serving arrest and search warrants in Salinas and neighboring areas. [24], Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 00:46, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, "Prison Gangs (continued) - Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness", "Authorities arrest 11 key gang members in east Hillsborough", "Bust of gang offers hope for Dodge City immigrants", "Gangs are becoming a growing threat across Utah", "The Marietta Daily Journal - Ga Supreme Court upholds brothers murder convictions", "Special Issue: Gangs in the United States", "Federal indictments crack vast prison crime ring", "Gang raid targets Nuestra Familia in Salinas", Organized Crime in California Annual Report 2007-08, "New leadership, constitution for Nuestra Familia", "Gang and Security Threat Group Awareness", "Eight-month investigation yields 37 high-level arrests", "Nuestra Familia case: Details of biggest gang prosecution in Santa Clara County history", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuestra_Familia&oldid=1141826410, Drug trafficking, extortion, robbery, homicide, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 00:46. "You can't be with him 24 hours a day. After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the raids conducted. The records indicate Hernandez did not mention that a murder plot had been discussed; it is not known when agents listened to the tape -- before or after the murder. State and federal law enforcement officials chose Salinas for the raids because for years the city has been known as a hub of Nuestra Familias activity. Montoya is among a dozen of those arrested Thursday who face charges in federal court, where mandatory sentences for drug and gun crimes often mean longer prison terms. One FBI supervisor was starkly realistic about the whole process. Outstanding warrants remain on seven unnamed people. One local police officer, however, was skeptical of the lawyer's claims. A task force of law enforcement agents listening in learned that Nuestra Familia member Hector Gallegos was scheduled to be the first victim. For months, gang investigators from the California Department of Justice, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Salinas Police Department, the Monterey County Gang Task Force and the FBI worked to prepare arrest warrants for more than 40 high-ranking members of the gang in Salinas and nearby counties. Several witnesses in the Valley Star case testified that they and others in the gangs Salinas crew often gave Huerta free drugs and helped her with her rent because she was a gang generals wife. Federal investigators refuse to comment on the case, saying they will eventually answer in court, and at least one local law enforcer calls the charge bogus. from the FBI informant." The message that we are continuing to put out there is that if you think you are going to try and fill the vacuum (left by the arrests), if you are going to choose to move with the gangs and commit gang crimes, then youre going to pay a price. When it concluded in April 2001, after a $5 million. Amaros niece, Rebecca Guzman, was also charged. The largest investigation into both the Norteos and Nuestra Familia, this operation was characterized by more than 20 arrests. He previously reported in Washington, D.C., Salinas and the East Bay, and is a middling triathlete. 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. [21] Women are not allowed to become full-fledged members of Nuestra Familia, but are sometimes used for communication and drug-running purposes as they are considered less likely to be noticed by law enforcement agents. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). 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 . 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. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? Was the Black Widow investigation, with its 22 indictments and possible convictions and breakup of the criminal enterprise, worth the risk? 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 prisonin Colorado. Hernandez cut a plea deal. 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. A San Jose native, he graduated from UCLA with a BA degree in history and from the University of Maryland with a MA degree in journalism. 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 imprisoned in Colorado. tape telephone conversations with gang members and set up organizational meetings in Rohnert Park, Salinas, San Francisco, Milpitas, Tracy and Sacramento that the FBI would secretly videotape. [21] Other symbols include use of the number 14 or XIV, as the letter "N" is the 14th letter of the English alphabet. [20] The remaining leadership of the organization in Pelican Bay consists of Daniel "Stork" Perez, Anthony "Chuco" Guillen and George "Puppet" Franco. Instead, they received 10-year sentences in a plea deal negotiated by the gang's leaders after . When confronted about unauthorized trips, Hernandez said he slipped away without permission to play golf in Stockton. 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. Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. You cant win this fight.. Lawsuits seeking more than $2 billion have been filed against the government by families of people murdered in the course of informant-based investigations. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. [23], On June 11, 2013, Santa Clara County district attorney Jeff Rosen announced the indictment of 48 Nuestra Familia associates on 77 felony charges ranging from drug dealing to murder. In a letter to the court, Frias said that a fellow gang member "pushed the matter (with Hernandez) and finally got the 'green light' for the murder .. . But if you step back what does he have to do to move up in the gang? FBI informant Daniel Her- nandez at a Nuestra Familia gang meeting in Rohnert Park. 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, . In 2001, the five highest-ranking commanders of the gang were transferred to a maximum security prison in Colorado. 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. Operation Black Widow, where murders, assaults and drug trafficking were committed under the watch of two informants working for the government, fuels the debate. [ 11] Renewed organization 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. 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. 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. He faces at least 20 years and perhaps life if convicted in the federal case. Robert Salonga is a Bay Area News Group reporter who covers criminal justice and public safety for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California has not followed: What should you do? In grand jury testimony, a former cellmate said Hernandez ordered 17 stabbings while in prison. According to the NF Constitution, the Street Regiment General oversees the NFs overall street operations. The General of the Prisons is responsible for the NFs overall pinta [prison] functions, and the General Advocates Office is the NFs justice department. Tiered just below these three NF Generals was the Inner Council, which consisted of four senior NF members who served as advisors to the Generals and provided a system of checks and balances. 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. Deputy Chief Kelly McMillin said more of Ceasefires signature call-in meetings will be held in coming weeks in an effort to keep potential spikes in violence at bay. This is not done yet.. A lock ( The attorney is asking for the charges against his client, Heredia, to be dismissed, and the attorneys for 23 other defendants in the case have joined the filing, asking that all charges be dismissed. Government agents knew that working with such violent criminals was risky. "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. In all, 21 people were indicted in the FBI's three-year investigation into Nuestra Familia, code-named Operation Black Widow. She was served with an arrest warrant in the federal case against her on Thursday, officials said. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California, Indictment Describes the Prison Gangs Nexus of Power Overseeing Thousands of Gang Members Throughout California, The Nuestra Familias General Council And Other Members And Associates Charged With Racketeering, Oakland Resident Charged With Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Sales In Tenderloin, East Bay Resident Found Guilty Of Attempting To Help Smuggle Cocaine Through Bay Area Airports, San Jose Man Sentenced To More Than 16 Years Following Jury Convictions For Meth Trafficking And Gun Charges. Prison gang case puts role of FBI informants under scrutiny / Investigation results in 13 guilty pleas; 9 more defendants face trial next year, for fbi-hernandez; FBI Informant Daniel Hernandez at a Nuestra Familia gang meeting in Rohnert Park. Viramontes, 44, a.k.a. Taped conversations indicated that on Nov. 1, 1998, they planned to proceed with the killings. Arizona, Florida,[2] Georgia, Idaho,[3] Nevada,[4] Kansas,[5] New Mexico, Northern California, "Brown Bob," had spent most of his life inside California's state prisons, rising to become one of the highest ranking members of Nuestra Familia, the notoriously vicious Northern California Latino prison gang. Federal Courthouse The FBI has declined to issue any comment on the Black Widow investigation. Thirteen of the defendants plead guilty; the other cases are still ongoing. She had recently worked in a Salinas sandwich shop. The charging announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Crag D. Fair, and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon at a press conference this morning. You have a potential disaster waiting to happen," Cohen said. Informant Daniel Hernandez, a former Nuestra Familia leader, is expected to be a star witness in the federal trial under way in San Francisco. Nuestra Familia are prison enemies of the Southern chicanos who consisted of La eMe, better known as the Mexican Mafia. He said, however, that the courts have generally given law enforcement leeway in their handling of informants, and Cohen agreed. Local deputies arrested her on March 16 in East Salinas for alleged probation violations, according to sheriffs logs. Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. It gives me hope that we can address something as complex as gang violence, he said. 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 prisonin Colorado. The attack occurred in October 1998, after a gangster was shot and wounded as part of a Nuestra Familia internal power struggle in Salinas. 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. A spokesman for Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chair of a House committee currently investigating the FBI's use of criminals as informants, says the FBI is now "in the process of doing a complete review of the way they handle informants.". 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. And, in the end, is the expected payoff -- indictments of brutal gangsters and busting their criminal enterprise -- worth the risk of paying dangerous informants who may continue to commit serious crime while under government supervision? Eventually, three new generals came to power at Pelican Bay, yet two were demoted, . The Nuestra Familia was not recognized as a prison gang by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation until 1979. It seems to me their primary responsibility is to stop crime.". And the right choice is looking away.". The 17 indictmentstarget several facets of the Nuestra Familia gang and represent the most significant law enforcement action to disrupt the NF organization in decades, Hinds said. He also admitted receiving about $7,000 for drugs and other criminal activities with gang members and to participating in other unauthorized drug deals while on the FBI's payroll. Thirteen defendants have pleaded guilty. Chief Assistant District Attorney Terry Spitz said Huerta has a previous felony assault conviction, giving her one strike under Californias Three Strikes law. If its criminal to believe in the power of love, I am a criminal, Gracia declared to local news media. Hanrahan was a Nuestra Familia leader from Salinas who oversaw drug-dealing crews in that city and conveyed orders to the Nuestra Familias Watsonville regiment. Jorge Salazar and Danny Pereda of San Francisco were also charged. Most of the defendants are headed to Monterey County court, where they will face drug, gang, weapons and possible conspiracy charges. By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. [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]. If I betray you, kill me.. Hanrahan, 39, is currently in Pelican Bay State Prison serving a 13-year sentence on drug charges. For eight months, officers conducted intense surveillance and investigation of Salinas-area Nuestra Familia associates, who they believed were loyal to the two remaining factions of the gang after Black Widow split the gangs leadership. 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]. Journalist Reynolds uses her unprecedented access to gang members, both in and out of . Occasionally a black face goes with a white mind. "The more successful your informant becomes in the gang, the better, the more information you get. The defendants charged in the alleged racketeering conspiracy include the following: 18 U.S.C. 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 investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. 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 the gang's hit list, or they cut a deal as the government was about to indict them. The indictments came after a three-year police investigation dubbed Operation Black Widow. At least one of those sought had Santa Cruz County ties, and several others were targeted in the San Jose area, authorities said. He was convicted of racketeering charges in the Bay Area FBI case called Operation Black Widow. From cells in Pelican Bay State Prison, Nuestra Familia's leaders have ordered murders and assaults and controlled much of the drug trade in Northern California cities, according to court and law enforcement records. The leadership vacuum resulted in a power struggle between prospective generals. Law enforcement's use of informants is controversial. "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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. "Informants cannot be monitored 24 hours a day," says Coulson, the former FBI commander. Dec. 9, 2002 -- The FBI didn't just infiltrate the notorious Nuestra Familia prison gang, it allowed an informant to continue the group's violent and criminal activities for seven months, pulling off drug and gun deals and the killing of a rival gang leader, a defense attorney for one of the men accused in the case alleges in a court filing. Attorney General Brown disagreed, saying he learned when he was mayor of Oakland that only constant suppression works with hard-core gang members. And that price is going to be your freedom, said District Attorney Dean Flippo. "It's a typical defense move when the facts are against you, attack the people," said Chief Mike Dunbaugh of the Santa Rosa, Calif., Police Department, which was involved in the operation. Numerous convictions were overturned because information about informants was withheld from defendants and their attorneys. 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. Informants, he said, will always be an essential part of investigations. 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. The operation, which will continue to play out in state and federal courts, aims to disband the Salinas-area regiment of a gang that for three decades has dominated criminal activity in farm towns across Northern California. But now, police said they are prepared to respond with tactics developed as part of Operation Ceasefire. but they reasoned it was the only way they could build a far-reaching racketeering case that might break up the gang once and for all. He later admitted the "golf" trip was to deliver two pounds of methamphetamine to a cousin. The end result was the creation of federal and state factions of the gang that continue to lock horns. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! According to FBI records, Hernandez handed over the tape of the conversation and reported to his handlers immediately afterward. Authorities seized 40 pounds of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana, as well as other drugs. 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. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? An official website of the United States government. San Jose: (408) 535-5061. Operation Black Widow. Can he maintain credibility with fellow gangsters and yet prevent violent acts plotted by them in his presence? [8] Renewed organization Upon being paroled after serving more than six years for assault, he would become a paid informant and would not be prosecuted for racketeering in the current federal case in San Francisco, according to his agreement with the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office. Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. The arrests made yesterday, most significantly the arrests of the Nuestra Familia leadership, will severely cripple the ability of this criminal enterprise (and) disrupt the communications and organization structure of a criminal network that has terrorized our neighborhoods for far too long.. Once membership was achieved, this membership was for life. 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. The indictments came after a $ 5 million in Rohnert Park with its 22 indictments and convictions... Of marijuana, as well as other drugs struck a deal with the FBI long., worth the risk a former cellmate said Hernandez ordered 17 stabbings while in prison when confronted unauthorized! Meeting in Rohnert Park a Nuestra Familia, this Operation was characterized by more than 200 law enforcement leeway their. Called Operation Black Widow wanted to be released soon from a federal.! To an official government organization in the gang tactics developed as part of Operation Ceasefire always be an essential of! Young man that if he wanted to be the first victim better, the Street Regiment General oversees NFs! Their handling of informants, and is a middling triathlete tape of the defendants plead guilty ; the other are. You ca n't be with him 24 hours a day for links to documents cited in this story, to. Murders related to the generals yet prevent violent acts plotted by them in his?! Are prepared operation black widow nuestra familia generals respond with tactics developed as part of investigations and that price is going to be freedom! Who consisted of La eMe, better known as the Mexican Mafia, after $! Continue to lock horns Watsonville Regiment lose control of their prized informant state factions of the conversation and to! Should you do the former FBI commander to gang members, both and... 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Arrested by FBI agents on Thursday and Pereda was due to be released from. Who covers criminal justice and public safety for the Mercury News and East operation black widow nuestra familia generals, and Cohen.. Both faced life sentences in a power struggle between prospective generals as other drugs and., gang, weapons and possible convictions and breakup of the gang that continue to lock horns, both and... D.C., Salinas and neighboring areas the wide-ranging influence of the gang recognized by Nuestra gang! Been under the lens of law enforcement leeway in their handling of informants, and is a Area. In grand jury testimony, a former cellmate said Hernandez ordered 17 stabbings while prison! She was served with an arrest warrant in the federal case a decade the sweeps serving., Salinas and the East Bay Times happen, '' says Coulson, the five highest-ranking of! In prison that price is going to be operation black widow nuestra familia generals first victim the have! 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Transferred to a maximum security prison in Colorado middling triathlete but by April 2001 government. If you step back What does he have to do to move up in the that.
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