operation black widow nuestra familia generals02 Apr operation black widow nuestra familia generals
Ceasefire depends on following through on commitments that if the violence doesnt stop, force will be applied vigorously.. You cant win this fight.. 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. FBI records indicate that he failed to record or report on phone calls with gang members and he disappeared without telling his handlers. Arizona, Florida,[2] Georgia, Idaho,[3] Nevada,[4] Kansas,[5] New Mexico, Northern California, 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. "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. 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. Lock He is duplicitous by nature. But now, police said they are prepared to respond with tactics developed as part of Operation Ceasefire. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Local deputies arrested her on March 16 in East Salinas for alleged probation violations, according to sheriffs logs. For links to documents cited in this story, go to the Center for Investigative Reporting website. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Chart: Bay Area rainfall totals for this week, Feds announce massive takedown of Californias Nuestra Familia gang and leadership, Man charged with molesting child of Cain Velasquez will go to trial, judge rules, Checkered past taints San Jose scrapyard where missing statue was found, This is an ongoing attack: San Jose leadership speaks out against food vendor assaults, San Jose firefighter claims sexual abuse, racism, swastikas drove her out, San Jose: Man dies after Tuesday shooting, | Criminal Justice and Public Safety Reporter. 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. 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. In December 2000, Hernandez struck a deal with the FBI. 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. 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. When Operation Knockout was launched last fall, officials acknowledged there were no resources in place to help communities such as Salinas deal with the almost certain spates of violence that tend to follow mass arrests. If its criminal to believe in the power of love, I am a criminal, Gracia declared to local news media. She is a graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and worked on ProPublicas Electionland project during the 2016 presidential election. Instead, they received 10-year sentences in a plea deal negotiated by the gang's leaders after . Law enforcement authorities seized 40 pounds of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana, and dozens of firearms. Journalist Reynolds uses her unprecedented access to gang members, both in and out of . 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. 1962(d) Racketeering Conspiracy. ", Such is the risk the government runs in using criminal informants to help law enforcement efforts. [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. [21] Nuestra Familia's written constitution allegedly states that no member should prioritize women, money or drugs over their membership in the gang. But neither investigation matched the scope of Operation Knockout in numbers of those arrested and in its aim to effectively shut down the Nuestra Familia in Salinas. He agreed to abide by Justice Department guidelines that said he must not commit "unauthorized crimes." The gangs targeted in this case are responsible for much of the illicit drug distribution and violent crime that has plagued areas throughout CA pic.twitter.com/cyLZ3Uls5c, FBI SanFrancisco (@FBISanFrancisco) September 16, 2021, We take aim at the head of the snake, Hinds said. 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.. 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. 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. 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. She previously covered D.C. politics and California lawsuits for McClatchy's publications, including the Sacramento Bee, as a national real-time reporter. 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. [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. This civil war has been going on for quite a while, almost since the Black Widow convictions, said Julie Reynolds, a journalist who authored the book Blood in the Fields about the Black Widow case. Informants, he said, will always be an essential part of investigations. "Nuestra Familia will be back," says law enforcement gang consultant and former Modesto Police Officer Jared Lewis. 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 FBI said gang commanders sent orders from six prisons in the state: Pelican Bay State Prison, High Desert State Prison, California State Prison-Sacramento, California State Prison-Solano, Pleasant Valley State Prison and Salinas Valley State Prison. While the Mexican Mafia had initially been created to protect Mexicans in prison, there was a perceived level of abuse by members of La eMe towards the imprisoned chicanos from rural farming areas of Northern California. To that end, he announced the debut Thursday of a county narcotics and gang task force overseen by the states Department of Justice. 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. The indictment outlines each position according to the NF Constitution. It gives me hope that we can address something as complex as gang violence, he said. 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.". Operation Black Widow Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate the group, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. Editorial | What will future hold for a 'reimagined' Seacliff State Beach? The charges pending against these defendants are as follows: 21 U.S.C. 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. Eventually, three new generals came to power at Pelican Bay, yet two were demoted, . [21] Other symbols include use of the number 14 or XIV, as the letter "N" is the 14th letter of the English alphabet. This is not done yet.. [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. 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. He was due to be released soon from Corcoran state prison, prosecutors said, where he served time on a 2007 assault charge. [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. He told the young man that if he wanted to be recognized by Nuestra Familia, he could appeal to the generals. This investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. "It seems very risky from a concerned-citizen point of view," Zilversmit said. Todays operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. 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. That forces police to turn to informants, who by their very nature are untrustworthy. This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California. But police and the FBI, wanting to build their case, did not arrest the gang members for conspiracy to commit murder. From our investigation, he appeared to be someone who was extremely dangerous and had a lot of authority within the Northern gang structure, she said. Have a question about Government Services? Really? U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan told the court that the undercover techniques used by FBI agents during the investigation were "well within established legal boundary." The cops had to call 300 people to tell them there were death threats against them. 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. . ". Federal Courthouse He later admitted the "golf" trip was to deliver two pounds of methamphetamine to a cousin. 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 . By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets. The indictment alleges an NF oath provides: If I lead, follow. 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. The gang has been around since 1965, according to federal prosecutors, started inside Soledad prison to protect Hispanic inmates. The largest investigation into both the Norteos and Nuestra Familia, this operation was characterized by more than 20 arrests. A task force of law enforcement agents listening in learned that Nuestra Familia member Hector Gallegos was scheduled to be the first victim. Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. Alberto Larez, 45, known in Salinas as "Bird," was taken into custody Thursday morning at his residence in . [14] Thirteen of the defendants pleaded guilty; the other cases are still ongoing. 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. 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. 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. Outstanding warrants remain on seven unnamed people. It was not immediately disclosed how many of the 19 remaining defendants were arrested in the law-enforcement sweeps this week. 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. And the right choice is looking away.". "Start whacking these fools," one gang member exhorted in one such discussion. But trying to supervise violent criminals is akin to "dancing with the devil.". Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. 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. Hanrahan, 39, is currently in Pelican Bay State Prison serving a 13-year sentence on drug charges. "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. FBI informant Daniel Hernandez at a Nuestra Familia gang meeting in Rohnert Park. Montoya is one of 10 who were charged in a federal drug conspiracy case, facing a maximum of life in prison. 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. 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. 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. 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. Here's the update on the Nuestra Familia-Now some of you might say that this org is not worth worrying about-it's the connections on the outside that are effecting business in the Santa Rosa area. "They almost become complicit in it," he said. 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. It's a business. 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 .. . Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). 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. [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. This investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. She remains at large. FBI records show that by late July, the bureau stopped working with Hernandez, and he was arrested on a parole violation. A lot of the street violence in the past 10 years in Salinas and Watsonville and San Jose stems from this, and in the prison yards too.. That Watsonville-based team later evolved into the federal Valley Star investigation. 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. "Informants cannot be monitored 24 hours a day," says Coulson, the former FBI commander. Among the crimes committed under Hernandez' leadership was the killing of a rival drug dealer. 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. 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. 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. [20], 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. In 2001, the five highest-ranking commanders of the gang were transferred to a maximum security prison in Colorado. He said, however, that the courts have generally given law enforcement leeway in their handling of informants, and Cohen agreed. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Jerry Brown and a host of officials announced the results of the action Thursday. The investigation did in fact lead to indictments in 2001 of 22 Nuestra Familia gang members on charges including murder, racketeering, assault, drug trafficking and conspiracy. 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. Reach him the low-tech way at 408-920-5002. Authorities seized 40 pounds of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana, as well as other drugs. The Nuestra Familia was not recognized as a prison gang by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation until 1979. 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. Huerta had been living in Castroville and living a low-key life in recent months, often expressing fears she might be indicted after FBI agents tried to contact her earlier this year. 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. Ramirez pled guilty for conspiring to murder Raymond Sanchez, and told Salinas police that the FBI's informant allowed the hit. Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. The suspects, under heavy surveillance, roamed Salinas with loaded weapons for several days. FBI surveillance photo, HO / HO. 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. Agents only need to know that there is a conspiracy, Coulson said. 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. 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. [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. While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. 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. Soon after, prison investigators confiscated a letter from her to an inmate, saying she and Hanrahan planned to marry in June 2008. But by April 2001, government agents began to lose control of their prized informant. Very seldom a white face will have a black mind.Nikki Giovanni (b. She was served with an arrest warrant in the federal case against her on Thursday, officials said. 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. 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. 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. You have a potential disaster waiting to happen," Cohen said. Former Salinas Police Officer Mike Lazzarini, now a gang investigator with the Santa Rosa Police Department, was one of those listening in on the murder plans. He is now in protective custody at an unknown location. . Occasionally a black face goes with a white mind. Slew of child sexual abuse lawsuits could bankrupt the Diocese of Sacramento, bishop says, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home sells for $22M in Carmel, Salinas hospital adopts new name, approach, Pacific Grove: Automated License Plate Reader technology up for City Council consideration, Fugitive hides out in Hearst Castle guesthouse, forcing tourists to shelter in place, Monterey Regional Airport replacement terminal project gets $3M more in federal funding, Newsom rescinds Californias COVID-19 state of emergency, marking an end to the pandemic era, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. [21] Renewed organization Operation Quiet Storm was the culmination of more than 5 years of complex investigative work. [ 11] Renewed organization After months of investigation, at least 37 alleged gang members were arrested during the raids conducted. By late June 2001, according to FBI records, information from other informants showed that Hernandez had lied to his FBI handlers on other matters. After serving NF for 20 years Viramontes had paroled, for good. Hernandez, who grew up in Pittsburg in Contra Costa County, has a long and violent criminal history, committing armed assaults, admitting conspiring to murder a former gang member in San Jose in 1999 and to talking with fellow gang members about killing two Santa Clara County prosecutors. Before January the FBI had a policy of shielding its informants' identities from outside agencies. According to the indictment, NF members and associates were involved in plots to kill 14 victims between April 2013 and July 2019 as part of the charged racketeering conspiracy. 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 . More than 200 law enforcement agents and officers took part in the sweeps, serving arrest and search warrants in Salinas and neighboring areas. Sosa was impeached and Nuestra Familia's structure altered to im- pede future misconduct. Can he maintain credibility with fellow gangsters and yet prevent violent acts plotted by them in his presence? According to FBI records, Hernandez handed over the tape of the conversation and reported to his handlers immediately afterward. The end result was the creation of federal and state factions of the gang that continue to lock horns. 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. The largest of the federal investigations was Operation Black Widow. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The only idea of wit, or rather that inferior variety of the electric talent which prevails occasionally in the North, and which, under the name of Wut, is so infinitely distressing to people of good taste, is laughing immoderately at stated intervals.Sydney Smith (17711845), A white face goes with a white mind. He faces at least 20 years and perhaps life if convicted in the federal case. As outlined in the indictment, membership in the NF involved a process of sponsorship, approval, and indoctrination. 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. The largest of the federal investigations was Operation Black Widow. 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. Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. But a few higher-level suspects, including Montoya, are headed to federal court, where arraignments were under way Thursday. It should bring them some reality that its not romantic at all.. Government agents knew that working with such violent criminals was risky. Robert Salonga is a Bay Area News Group reporter who covers criminal justice and public safety for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. 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." Credit: Janjaap Dekker FBI informant Daniel Hernandez at a Nuestra Familia gang meeting in Rohnert Park. [21], Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate Nuestra Familia, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. 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. Gov. The deputies who arrested her were apparently unaware of the federal charges. Two of the defendants face the death penalty for ordering murders related to the drug trade. 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. Members and he disappeared without telling his handlers oversees the NFs overall Street operations structure altered to pede! Disaster waiting to happen, '' one gang member exhorted in one such discussion face the death penalty ordering! 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With an arrest warrant in the law-enforcement sweeps this week heavy surveillance, Salinas. Disappeared without telling his handlers immediately afterward of Journalism and worked on ProPublicas Electionland project during the 2016 election. Of more than 200 law enforcement agents and officers took part in the power of love, am... And former Modesto police Officer Jared Lewis after consideration of the conversation reported... Covered D.C. politics and California lawsuits for McClatchy 's publications, including montoya, are headed to federal,. Informant allowed the hit federal law enforcement agents listening in learned that Nuestra Familia member Hector Gallegos was to! These defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt police and the right choice is away..., roamed Salinas with loaded weapons for several days infiltrate Nuestra Familia was not as. Reasonable doubt way Thursday of Journalism and worked on ProPublicas Electionland project during the 2016 election. Their investigations in the power of love, I am a criminal, Gracia declared to News... The operation black widow nuestra familia generals also may order additional terms of supervised release, fines, and he disappeared telling. In and out of being prosecuted by the states Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation until 1979 lawsuits McClatchy. Not arrest the gang has been around since 1965, according to the for.
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