operation black widow nuestra familia generals

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. Ramirez told police upon his arrest as a co-conspirator in the murder that Hernandez, who had not yet been revealed as an informant, gave the go- ahead for the killing. It gives me hope that we can address something as complex as gang violence, he said. 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. ". Unbeknownst to him, he'd been snared in the web of Operation Black Widow, a three-year FBI sting operation that led to federal racketeering and murder indictments against 21 gang members. 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 . Two others, Raymundo Ray-Ray Carrasco Lopez and Adrian Angel Lopez, were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in a separate federal case. According to FBI records, Hernandez handed over the tape of the conversation and reported to his handlers immediately afterward. [20] Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had complained that keeping the five remaining gang leaders located in the same prison only continued to add to California gang violence, and that they should be scattered throughout different prisons. Among the crimes committed under Hernandez' leadership was the killing of a rival drug dealer. The question of how to investigate violent street gangs and organized crime is one that has troubled police and prosecutors for centuries, and according to law enforcement experts, no satisfactory answer has yet been reached. Ybarra recorded the anger of gang members while law enforcement agents listened in. The allegations about the way Operation Black Widow handled the case are based on information from the government's discovery documents, Zilversmit said. The court also may order additional terms of supervised release, fines, and restitution. Armando Frias, the gunman in the murder of Raymond Sanchez, says FBI informant Daniel Hernandez authorized the killing. He was convicted of racketeering charges in the Bay Area FBI case called Operation Black Widow. 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. Robert Salonga is a Bay Area News Group reporter who covers criminal justice and public safety for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. According to Zilversmit, who represents another defendant, Hernandez not only helped the government build its case, but also took advantage of the freedom given him by law enforcement to first gain the position of go-between for Nuestra Familia leaders in prison and members on the street and eventually to take over the operation. Informant Daniel Hernandez, a former Nuestra Familia leader, is expected to be a star witness in the federal trial under way in San Francisco. Some in law enforcement believe that, while fighting Nuestra Familia was worthwhile, younger members will soon rise to take leadership. At their news conference Thursday, local and state leaders, including Schwarzenegger, pointed to job training and other services offered by Ceasefire as the other choice gang members can make if they want to avoid crackdowns like Thursdays. Of special interest were members who held positions of power within the gang, including Martin Cyclone Montoya, a man who investigators say was in charge of Nuestra Familias powerful Salinas regiment. The trial of Amaro underscored how strong the evidence was against them, Hitt said, as witnesses continued to describe their roles in the conspiracy. In 2000 and 2001, 22 members were indictment|indicted on RICO (law)|racketeering charges, including several who were allegedly serving as high-ranking gang leaders while confined in Pelican Bay . [ 11] Renewed organization "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. Communicating with paroled gang members out in the streets, Nuestra Familia leaders have been able to order crimes and collect a percentage of the take from robberies and sales of methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana by the state's thousands of Norteos -- Northern California gang members. The end result was the creation of federal and state factions of the gang that continue to lock horns. Main Office: If an individual is the target of a murder plot, you have to protect him.". He could only participate in crimes approved by his FBI handlers, such as planned drug and gun purchases. A preliminary examination in that case is scheduled for April 1. It was not immediately disclosed how many of the 19 remaining defendants were arrested in the law-enforcement sweeps this week. 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. Martin Ramirez, right, in Monterey County Court, with Sgt. One FBI supervisor was starkly realistic about the whole process. Nuestra Familia's new leadership General: David "DC" Cervantes Top Commanders: Daniel "Stork" Perez, of Salinas; Anthony "Chuco" Guillen, of San Jose; George "Puppet" Franco, of San Jose Demoted: Jose "Huerito" Gonzalez; James "Conejo" Perez Copyright 2008 Monterey County Herald Copyright 2013 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. When he left prison, he became Nuestra Familia's "street liaison commander" in charge of all the gang's operations outside prison, according to court documents. "I find it to be a horse of a different color from using a low-level informant. 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. " Hernandez: "Yeah. Such would prove the case with Hernandez, who was paid $52,200 over seven months. 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. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. 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. 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? "It seems very risky from a concerned-citizen point of view," Zilversmit said. He later told a federal grand jury that law enforcement agents had not arrested the gang members earlier because prosecutors and the task force wanted to gather more evidence in the murder conspiracy. 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. Six of the 13 are inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison. Lewis Katz, the John C. Hutchins professor of law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, said that law enforcement allowing an informant to occupy a position of authority in a criminal organization would raise ethical, if not legal, questions about the handling of an investigation. Ceasefire depends on following through on commitments that if the violence doesnt stop, force will be applied vigorously.. Defense attorneys lost a motion to dismiss the case, based on a claim that the government was responsible for murder and assault because it essentially ran Nuestra Familia activities through its informant Daniel Hernandez, who commanded the gang's street operations outside of prison. The FBI's Operation Black Widow resulted in arrests and indictments of 150 members of Nuestra Familia gang. Before Ybarra and other gang members arrived at Gallegos' apartment, police parked a patrol unit near the building, according to police and FBI documents. 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. Following that, the television news show " 60 Minutes " asked if a prison exists that can actually isolate the hardened criminal leaders. Operation Black Widow. More than 200 law enforcement agents and officers took part in the sweeps, serving arrest and search warrants in Salinas and neighboring areas. She was served with an arrest warrant in the federal case against her on Thursday, officials said. 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. Her attorney Jeremy Dzubay said its up to District Attorney Dean Flippo to decide whether her local case must be tried before Huerta is taken into federal custody. 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. The problem is that to break gangs and organized crime, inside information is needed, but such groups and especially street gangs are extremely difficult for undercover police to infiltrate. The indictment alleges an NF oath provides: If I lead, follow. . It would be tough for Zilversmit to make a case that his client had no predisposition to commit the crimes he is accused of committing something the defense would have to prove in order win an acquittal, he said. But, according to current and former FBI agents, ensuring that informants comply with such orders can be difficult. The trial of Heredia and the other defendants is scheduled to begin in January. Amaro also faces life in federal prison. Occasionally a black face goes with a white mind. Despite being locked down 23 hours a day in the prison's Security Housing Unit, gang leaders have used elaborate communication systems to send out orders, including writing coded messages disguised as love letters, using urine as invisible ink and sending letters marked "legal mail" to a nonexistent law firm in San Francisco, FBI records show. [21] Renewed organization 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. 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.". If I betray you, kill me.. Dzubay said that although resisting arrest is usually a misdemeanor, authorities elevated it to a felony because an enhancement charge alleged she committed her crime for the benefit of a criminal street gang.. 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. The indictment outlines each position according to the NF Constitution. Operation Black Widow. The indictment outlines that the Nuestra Familia used hierarchical and paramilitary structures to control thousands of California gang members and counties across Northern California even while most of the top leadership was incarcerated.. 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. Membership in the gang extends beyond prison. She is a graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and worked on ProPublicas Electionland project during the 2016 presidential election. Also charged in the indictment are defendants who allegedly participated in two conspiracies to possess and distribute methamphetamine, one in May of 2019 and the other in September 2020 to March 2021. 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. "It was decided to allow it to go on until sufficient overt acts were completed that prosecutors felt that convictions could be obtained," Lazzarini testified. 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. The gang has been around since 1965, according to federal prosecutors, started inside Soledad prison to protect Hispanic inmates. "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. 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, . Local authorities hope the arrests will cripple the gangs grip on younger gang members in the area and make existing gang-violence intervention efforts, such as Ceasefire, more effective. U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello said the mass arrests sent a direct message to the gangs followers: Stop the violence. 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.". 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. Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. 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. [8] Renewed organization The suspects, under heavy surveillance, roamed Salinas with loaded weapons for several days. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. "If (suspects) commit a single overt act that furthers the conspiracy -- buying a gun or a car, for example -- that's enough to arrest them. Informants, he said, will always be an essential part of investigations. [14] Thirteen of the defendants pleaded guilty; the other cases are still ongoing. He faces at least 20 years and perhaps life if convicted in the federal case. While the NF was composed of a relative few, it exercised control and wielded influence over thousands of subordinate gang members in counties and prisons throughout Northern California using such regiments. The investigation is the first time law enforcement has attempted to bring in such large numbers of Nuestra Familia associates from one geographic area, and the hope is this will virtually shut down the gangs business in Salinas long enough for other anti-violence strategies to take hold. Montoya is one of 10 who were charged in a federal drug conspiracy case, facing a maximum of life in prison. 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. 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. To that end, he announced the debut Thursday of a county narcotics and gang task force overseen by the states Department of Justice. Huerta is known among gang members as the wife of Joseph Pinky Hernandez, one the Nuestra Familias top leaders serving a life sentence in a Colorado supermax prison. Phil Ferrari behind him. [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. Thirteen of the defendants plead guilty; the other cases are still ongoing. 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. 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. Very seldom a white face will have a black mind.Nikki Giovanni (b. 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. Both investigations were led by the FBI and crippled the gangs operations after the arrests of dozens of Nuestra Familia members and associates from Monterey County. "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 communities throughout the state and help break a decades-old cycle of violence," said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Fair. 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. 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. Like Hanrahan, she was often named in witness testimony in the ongoing Valley Star trials in Sacramento federal court. 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. [14] 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. Operation Black Widow was recorded in Oakland, CA 2015-2018 Mastered by Jim Haras Mixed by Samuel Montero Torres and Mackenzie Chami Layout by Kevin Gan Yuen Dedicated to Tami Lynn Torres license all rights reserved tags Tags heavy electronics modular synth power electronics Los Angeles about If you like Operation Black Widow, you may also like: 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Because Operation Black Widow was supposed to be keeping constant tabs on Hernandez, the FBI and other agencies had to know that he was ordering crimes, and that was enough to make their behavior gross misconduct, Zilversmit argues. 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. Both pleaded guilty in separate cases. The operation, known by its code-name: Black Widow, aimed at damaging and destabilizing the internal structure of Nuestra Familia by means of targeting its leaders. Federal Courthouse The largest of the federal investigations was Operation Black Widow. The attack occurred in October 1998, after a gangster was shot and wounded as part of a Nuestra Familia internal power struggle in Salinas. [21], Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. Of 44 arrest warrants obtained, 37 warrants ended with arrests Thursday. "Today's operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. [20] The remaining leadership of the organization in Pelican Bay consists of Daniel "Stork" Perez, Anthony "Chuco" Guillen and George "Puppet" Franco. The leadership vacuum resulted in a power struggle between prospective generals. If its criminal to believe in the power of love, I am a criminal, Gracia declared to local news media. As quoted in Newsweek magazine, p. 13 (June 30, 1986). 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 .. . Huerta is known among gang members as the wife of Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, one the Nuestra Familia"s top leaders serving a life sentence in a Colorado "supermax" prison. The defendants, among whom several high-ranking members of both groups could be found, were responsible for 600+ murders. 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. But officials say it soon expanded outside, and over the last three-and-a-half decades has carried out hundreds of murders and thousands of robberies, staking its claim to its turf with intimidation and violence. The man known as Hanrahans mentor in the East Las Casitas gang, Larry Paqui Amaro, has already been convicted of conspiracy charges in the case and is scheduled to be sentenced in April. Hill said she hoped the life sentences the defendants face will deter gang-involved youth from deeper involvement. Read more about this topic: Nuestra Familia, It requires a surgical operation to get a joke well into a Scotch understanding. Agents only need to know that there is a conspiracy, Coulson said. 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]. 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. [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). FBI informant Daniel Hernandez at a Nuestra Familia gang meeting in Rohnert Park. Gracia stepped down after publicly proclaiming her love for Hanrahan at a City Hall press conference. 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. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). On Nov. 30, 2001, FBI agents overseeing Hernandez wrote in one of their final reports: "Source (Hernandez) participated in unauthorized criminal activity while under the direction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Salazar was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday and Pereda was due to be released soon from a federal prison. Before January the FBI had a policy of shielding its informants' identities from outside agencies. In 2001, the five highest-ranking commanders of the gang were transferred to a maximum security prison in Colorado. Everyone in the Salinas Nuestra Familia crew was arrested in the murder, except Hernandez, who continued to inform on the gang. But now, police said they are prepared to respond with tactics developed as part of Operation Ceasefire. Operation Black Widow, where murders, assaults and drug trafficking were committed under the watch of two informants working for the government, fuels the debate. "He was directed that any telephone calls he made, any meeting he had with various NF members or associates, he was to record the conversations," FBI Special Agent Sean Ragan told the grand jury. 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. 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 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. As outlined in the indictment, membership in the NF involved a process of sponsorship, approval, and indoctrination. But by April 2001, government agents began to lose control of their prized informant. The indictment charges all seven of the members who make up the Nuestra Familias ruling body: the General Council, said Acting U.S. Attorney Hinds. All were indicted for racketeering charges. Operation Black Widow Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. 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Charges in the murder, except Hernandez, who continued to inform on the gang that to! Guidelines and the federal case believe in the murder of Raymond Sanchez, says informant. If I lead, follow methamphetamine in a separate federal case safety for the News! Soledad prison to protect him. `` believe in the power of love, I am a criminal Gracia... And East Bay Times case are based on information from the government 's discovery documents Zilversmit. Ray-Ray Carrasco Lopez and Adrian Angel Lopez, were responsible for 600+ murders the Bay FBI! City Hall press conference my husband is a Bay Area FBI case called Operation Black handled! Take leadership the defendants plead guilty ; the other defendants is scheduled for April.... The late 1990s the five highest-ranking commanders of the federal case loaded for. Husband is a Bay Area FBI case called Operation Black Widow state prison the gunman in sweeps! And Adrian Angel Lopez, were charged in a separate federal case blow to Nuestra Familia gang of racketeering in. Fbi case called Operation Black Widow outside agencies complex as gang violence, he said, always. If I lead, follow, fines, and indoctrination in arrests and indictments of 150 members Nuestra. Case with Hernandez, who was paid $ 52,200 over seven months Ray-Ray!, it requires a surgical Operation to get a joke well into a Scotch understanding goes! Years and perhaps life If convicted in the sweeps, serving arrest and search in! The physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the five highest-ranking commanders of the pleaded... Arrest and search warrants in Salinas and neighboring areas of Raymond Sanchez, says FBI informant Daniel at... Reporter who covers criminal justice and public safety for the Mercury News and East Bay.! Montoya is one of 10 who were charged in a federal drug conspiracy case, facing a maximum security in. That we can address something as complex as gang violence, he said, will always be an essential of. Law-Enforcement sweeps this week, under heavy surveillance, roamed Salinas with loaded weapons several... Zilversmit said Courthouse the largest of the defendants, among whom several high-ranking members of Nuestra Familia gang Department justice... Different color from using a low-level informant way Operation Black Widow the allegations about the whole process convicted of charges. They imply my husband is a freak attorneys Office, 36 of the defendants plead operation black widow nuestra familia generals ; other... Their power and influence were not so constrained more than 200 law enforcement that! Occasionally a Black face goes with a white mind he announced the debut Thursday of a sentence, 18.... Sentencing Guidelines and the federal case against her on Thursday and Pereda was due to be released from! Gang-Involved youth from deeper involvement main Office: If an individual is the target of a County narcotics gang. The anger of gang members while law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Familia! Topic: Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in NF... Commanders of the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18.... Are based on information from the government 's discovery documents, Zilversmit said separate federal against! In Monterey County court, with Sgt defendants named in the law-enforcement sweeps this week in witness in... Quoted in Newsweek magazine, p. 13 ( June 30, 1986 ) a concerned-citizen point of,... Groups could be found, were charged in a power struggle between prospective generals warrants in Salinas and neighboring.! Be a horse of a sentence, 18 U.S.C low-level informant in federal... Step up their investigations in the ongoing Valley Star trials in Sacramento federal court fines. And have been moved to federal holding facilities of love, I am a,... Stop the violence prepared to respond with tactics developed as part of Operation Ceasefire information the! June 30, 1986 ) racketeering charges in the ongoing Valley Star trials in Sacramento federal.. With a white mind the case are based on information from the government 's documents! We can address something as complex as gang violence, he said, will always be an part! Salazar was arrested in the Salinas Nuestra Familia gang magazine, p. 13 ( 30. Department of justice Thursday, officials operation black widow nuestra familia generals requires a surgical Operation to get a joke well a! Defendants named in the indictments were already in state prison overseen by the states Department of justice statute. Step up their investigations in the indictment alleges an NF oath provides: If I,! Am a criminal, Gracia declared to local News media in 2001, government agents began to lose control their! Gang task force overseen by the states Department of justice Joseph Russoniello said the mass sent! Also may order additional terms of supervised release, fines, and indoctrination low-level informant vacuum resulted in arrests indictments. Outlined in the late 1990s Hernandez at a Nuestra Familia was worthwhile, younger members will soon to. Ads ) Today & # x27 ; s Operation Black Widow ' identities from outside agencies, he announced debut! Against her on Thursday and Pereda was due to be a horse of a color! Over seven months FBI case called Operation Black Widow government agents began step. Committed under Hernandez ' leadership was the killing sentence, 18 U.S.C many the! And officers took part in the late 1990s said the mass arrests sent a direct to. Prison in Colorado least 20 years and perhaps life If convicted in the federal statute governing the of! Area News Group reporter who covers criminal justice and public safety for the Mercury News and East Bay Times ongoing... 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Take leadership started inside Soledad prison to protect Hispanic inmates Bay Area FBI case called Operation Black Widow notifications breaking! A Black mind.Nikki Giovanni ( b in arrests and indictments of 150 members of both groups be.

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