Braulio Castellanos has been serving a life sentence since 1988 for two counts of second-degree murder. This resulted in the Mexican Mafia putting a green light out on the East Coast Crips. Los Angeles, California 90012. Its ranks are knitted together by blood. Federal prosecutors charge alleged gang members with killing off-duty He wants to place himself, through this megalomaniacal sense of importance, on this pedestal where he is looked at as one of the chieftains of the mob, he said. or redistributed. After the jury returned its verdicts, United States District Judge Beverly Reid OConnell scheduled sentencing hearings for October 24, 2016. Four Florencia-13 members have gone on to join the Mexican Mafia, law enforcement officials have testified in prosecutions of the gang: Arturo Castellanos, known as Tablas; his brother Braulio, nicknamed Babo; Juan Topo Garcia and Leonel Wizard Laredo. Earlier this year, Carter had handed out life sentences to Florencia members Jesse Vasquez, 36; Alberto Hernandez, 28; Gilberto Oliva, 41; Manuel Hernandez, 27; and Noe Gonzalez, 28. [11] "He was a really humble hard worker, always walked around with a smile, and he was just really, really nice to be around," an officer told FOX 11. The edict led to indiscriminate shootings of Black and Latino residents, as Florencia-13 members prowled the streets for targets and East Coast Crips committed retaliatory shootings of their own, witnesses testified. Florencia-13 members were forbidden from extorting paisas slanging in the hood a reference, Velasquez testified, to Mexican nationals selling drugs in the gangs territory. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Homicides dropped to 10 last year. News Florencia 13 Gang Member Arrested on Rico Charges Latino Gang Members Indicted for 'Cleansing' Operation 3 Gang Members Charged With Race Killing LA SHERIFF ASKS FEDS TO HANDLE PROSECUTION IN OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTING OVER CONCERNS DA TOO LENIENT: REPORT. It was crazy -- really crazy.. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca stated: The successful results of this joint operation allowed law enforcement to intervene in the development of a very strong and powerful merger between dangerous criminal organizations. Florencia 13, works closely with the Mexican Mafia and is a rival of the 18th Street set. There is no reliable estimate of how much money Florencia-13 generates for its Mexican Mafia overlords. Story tips can be sent to Jessica.Chasmar@fox.com. LOS ANGELES - A federal jury late Tuesday convicted three men and one woman from Los Angeles County of conspiring to participate in the racketeering activities of the Florencia 13 criminal street gang (F13 Gang), as well as of related drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Florencia-13 members also collect protection money from local merchants who seek help in keeping gang members from hurting their business, the former member of the gang said. By combining law enforcement resources, we were able to curtail their ability to build alliances and prevent their violence from spreading further into our communities.. Anyone who ignores the group's edicts faces likely retaliation if they end up behind bars. They allege the protest leaders have a hidden agenda strengthening the hand of criminal groups that control drug and extortion rackets behind bars and on the streets. The operation involved the Los Angeles High- Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the IRS, and the Los Angeles County Probation Department. Additionally, Sanchez was found guilty of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, based on his possession of a handgun at one of the illegal gambling establishments run by the gang known as casitas.. U.S. District Judge David Carter sentenced Florencia member Francisco Flores, 24, to life in prison on Wednesday, saying that he preyed on victims because they were black and for no other reason, according to a U.S. attorneys office news release. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. LOS ANGELES Authorities have arrested 11 members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Florencia-13 (F13) street gang on federal racketeering, narcotics and firearms charges. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Wildfires in Anchorage? Over the years, demographic and social shifts have weakened many street gangs and caused some to die out altogether. Dorado then reported back to the incarcerated F13 Gang member who issued the order: Thats a done deal. They also arrested 25 members and associates of the San Fernando Valley-based Vineland boys. A separate indictment released in August alleges Mexican Mafia members attempted to form an alliance with operatives from a powerful Mexican drug cartel, with approval from leaders at Pelican Bay. Wednesday, June 7, 2017 Contact: Los Angeles Field Division 818-265-2507 www.atf.gov Two Florencia 13 Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Prison LOS ANGELES - Two key operatives of the Florencia 13 street gang were sentenced this week to life without parole in federal prison. The suspects were alleged members of Florencia 13, and are facing murder and attempted murder charges.[12]. Of those indicted, 94 have pleaded guilty or have been convicted. The indictment named 30 members and associates of the F13 gang. On October 6, 2019, four men, ages 20s to 50s, were killed and five injured at KC Tequila, a Hispanic-themed bar and restaurant in Kansas City, Kansas. According to The Los Angeles Times, F13 was formed in South Los Angeles in the 1950s and is largely controlled by the Mexican Mafia prison gang, which is made up of about 140 men, most of them incarcerated. LEXINGTON, Ky. - Senior Florencia Urrutia has been named a member of the Second Team All-Southeastern Conference, the conference announced on Thursday. In an indictment brought in 2007, authorities accused the gang of attacking members of rival Black gangs in an attempt to drive them from the Florence-Firestone area. Casado had been released on bond since her arrest in August 2013; however, after the verdicts Judge OConnell ordered her remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Climate change sparks disaster fears, Police manhunt continues for suspect in Texas mass shooting, A powerhouse U.S. doctor slain in Sudan, killed for nothing, In final Mass in Budapest, pope urges Hungary to open doors. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A lock ( These two investigations disrupted the criminal activities of the Mexican Mafia, the Los Angeles street gang Florencia 13, and the Mexican Mafias relationship with the La Familia drug cartel, which is responsible for using firearms to commit violent crimes and trafficking hundreds of thousands of pounds of controlled substances into the United States, Said Steven J. Bogdalek, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Division. ft. home is a 3 bed, 2.0 bath property. Florencia 13 is one of the largest, most powerful and oldest street gangs in Southern California. LOS ANGELES - A federal jury late Tuesday convicted three men and one woman from Los Angeles County of conspiring to participate in the racketeering activities of the Florencia 13 criminal street gang (F13 Gang), as well as of related drug trafficking and firearms offenses.. Jose Dorado, 34, Tannous Fazah, 26, Jose Sanchez, 40, all of Huntington Park, and Giselle Casado, 33, of Downey, were . Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Performance & security by Cloudflare. The case showed the remarkable power the Mexican Mafia prison gang holds over Southern California Latino street gangs. A secret letter allegedly sent from an inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison in Northern California to members of Florencia 13, a multi-generational street gang in south Los Angeles, details a covert network that has enriched the state's most powerful prison gang, the Mexican Mafia. In time it absorbed smaller gangs, many of which became cliques, or subsets, of Florencia-13. Florencia 13 - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader The verdicts remove these violent defendants from our community and deal an important blow against the Florencia 13 gangs campaign of drugs and violence., Dorado and Fazah alone were found guilty of conspiring to commit a Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) for a gang-related beating in Huntington Park that ultimately led to the shooting death of the victim. "There's a fascination with gangs," said founder Alfred Lomas, a former member of the Florencia 13 gang. Based out of South . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department. Out of the 36 defendants named in the six indictments, 11 were arrested today, 16 were already in custody, and authorities are searching for nine fugitives. Market data provided by Factset. During this mornings takedown, 14 of the 31 defendants named in this indictment were taken into custody. It was among the deadliest acts of violence in modern Kansas history. Many of the victims, Black and Latino, had no gang affiliations. A partner of Leon, Miguel Candido' s apartment was searched in March of 2019 where 5000 pills containing fentanyl, onepound of heroin, over $20,000 in US currency, drug ledgers, scales, and cell phones linking the two to a criminal organization were located. As part of the alliance between the criminal enterprises, the indicted members and associates of the Mexican Mafia helped La Familia distribute narcotics by ordering, instructing, and informing Hispanic gang members to protect La Familia drug shipments and sales, to prevent criminal taxation of La Familia drug shipments and sales, and to collect drug debts, according to the indictment, which also alleges that Mexican Mafia members would protect incarcerated members of La Familia. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. [7] They are involved in drug smuggling, murder, assault and robbery. Chief Cosme Lozano of the Huntington Park Police Department said: We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this investigation and the conviction of the suspects. That same night, in an alley in Huntington Park, Dorado, Fazah and other members of the gang circled the victim and proceeded to punch and kick him repeatedly, after which Fazah brandished an illegal handgun and fatally shot the victim in the face. Jose Dorado, 34, Tannous Fazah, 26, Jose Sanchez, 40, all of Huntington Park, and Giselle Casado, 33, of Downey, were convicted late yesterday in United States District Court following a 13-day trial. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. In 2018, prosecutors indicted Laredo and 25 other alleged members and associates of Florencia-13, charging that Laredo was collecting a percentage of the money made from drug deals, extortion and other crimes committed by the gang. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! According to an FBI agents affidavit, one of the defendants has admitted that they were driving around, looking for someone to rob, when Rios spotted Arroyos and remarked, He has a nice chain, lets get it.. And after they agree its over, its a dead issue.. Column: Does racism make you too stupid to be a cop? To his supporters, Castellanos is a relentless campaigner for prisoner rights who has eschewed a history of violence to help coordinate peaceful protests behind bars. Leaders of the hunger strike, including Castellanos, only agreed to call off the protest after California lawmakers promised hearings and possible legislation to address complaints about prison gang policy and isolation units. Sanchez will face an additional five-year mandatory, consecutive term of imprisonment due to his conviction for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition, 11 members and associates of the Florencia-13 gang were arrested Wednesday during "Operation Friday the 13th." They face federal racketeering, narcotics and firearms charges,. The illegal contraband included methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cell phones. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Various defendants are charged in six other counts in the indictment that allege substantive narcotics-distribution offenses, five of which relate to methamphetamine and one of which concerns marijuana. Peter Hernandez, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who handled an earlier Mexican Mafia investigation, said the government at that time concluded it was safer to keep Castellanos in isolation and not pull him out of Pelican Bay for court hearings in Los Angeles, which would have been required had he been indicted. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A locked padlock Legal Statement. Twenty-six members and associates of the gang allegedly conspired to violate RICO and engaged in drug trafficking, illegal gambling, attempted murder and assault. How street gangs and their sub-groups are governed, including the election of a president and vice president by majority votes.. Jury Fails to Reach Verdict on Alleged Gang Rape In March 2010, Dorado and Fazah received an order from an incarcerated, senior member of the F13 gang instructing them beat and kill the victim. The gang is now at the center of the killing earlier this month of an off-duty Los Angeles police officer. The sentence imposed by the court removes a drug trafficker and violent offender from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to engage in such criminal activity.. East Coast Crips responded with shootings of their own, often targeting Latinos who were not gang members. [7] They are involved in drug smuggling, murder, assault and robbery. The Sheriffs Department added about 30 deputies, and last year it brought an injunction against Florencia. [8] There were seven members of the Florencia 13 group, including the five arrested and charged, and the two still on the run identified by the initials A.G. and L.M. Luis De La Rosa Rios, Jesse Contreras, Ernesto Cisneros and Haylee Grisham have been charged in federal court with Arroyos' killing. The trial further found that the gang was controlled by the Mexican Mafia prison gang. The Southern California Drug Task Force is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, the ATF, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Pasadena Police Department. If an understanding cannot be reached, the pres from those [cliques] are to set a date for those two to box it out like real Florencianos, the rules say. Florencia-13 tag on a stop sign on Florence Ave. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Florence-Firestone, with a population of 60,000, had 43 homicides in 2005. Chief Judge Bastian determined Leon posed a danger to the community and an extreme risk to re-offend given his significant criminal history and recidivist criminal behavior. Rincon was accused of authorizing -- along with others -- the execution of Florencia 13 gang member Johnny Ibarra because he killed a fellow gang member without permission, according to prosecutors. Gang members have been charged with offenses ranging. The three men are members of Florencia-13, according to. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provided substantial assistance. Other edicts allegedly issued by Castellanos guided Florencia 13 into a turf battle against rival gangs. The action triggered a wave of racial violence against African-Americans, according to court documents. In April 2017, one defendant, Samuel Flores Mejia, a.k.a. Click on the image and hit the 'text' tab to read a typed version of the communique. Feds: Latino Gang Targeted Blacks - Newsweek The marijuana count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison (10 years if the defendant has a prior narcotics conviction) and a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Feinstein has vowed to return to Washington, but what happens if she doesnt? Central District of California | Three Gang Members and One Gang 13 Linked To Mexican Mafia And La Familia Indicted After Investigation Reveals Plot To Join Forces To Expand Drug Cartels Presence In U.S. http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/pr2010/025.html, Former Wells Fargo Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Obstructing Bank Examination Involving the Opening of Millions of Accounts Without Customer Authorization, West Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Using Snapchat to Entice Child into Producing Sexually Explicit Videos, Carson Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison for Making Sexually Explicit Videos of 15-Year-Old Victim. Los Angeles gang areas highlights of this tour All rights reserved. The indictments targeting the Mexican Mafia and the La Familia drug cartel are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department; and the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)/Southern California Drug Task Force, a federally funded group led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
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