[7] They are involved in drug smuggling, murder, assault and robbery. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. An official website of the United States government. LOS ANGELES - Two Huntington Park men who are members of the Florencia 13 street gang and participated in the murder of another gang member have been sentenced to life without parole in federal prison after being convicted at trial of racketeering, narcotics, and weapons offenses.. Jose Dorado, also known as "Yogi," 35, and Tannous Fazah, aka "Terist," 27, were sentenced on Monday by . The three men are members of Florencia-13, according to. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Based out of South . Yet he wrote letters, introduced as evidence at the trial, that presumed to control a street gang, most of whose members had never seen him. Things have gotten a lot better, said Chris Le Grande, pastor of Great Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Compton Avenue in Florence-Firestone. Years of violent conflict over that territory with other gangs lent Florencia an identity and reason for being. LAPD officer Fernando Arroyos, 27, was gunned downin South Los Angeles during an attempted robbery while he was looking at houses with his girlfriend Jan. 10. News Florencia 13 Gang Member Arrested on Rico Charges Latino Gang Members Indicted for 'Cleansing' Operation 3 Gang Members Charged With Race Killing 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. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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. The conspiracy charge and the counts related to methamphetamine each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison (20 years if the defendant has a prior drug conviction, which may affect about half of the defendants in the indictment) and a maximum statutory sentence of life without parole. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Dorado then reported back to the incarcerated F13 Gang member who issued the order: Thats a done deal. Arturo Cruz, 34, was sentenced to 60 years in prison. Luis De La Rosa Rios, Jesse Contreras, Ernesto Cisneros and Haylee Grisham have been charged in federal court with Arroyos killing. A locked padlock Login . That has reduced payback killings as well. Prosecutors alleged Castellanos was a Mexican Mafia member and undisputed leader of Florencia 13 and its associated cliques, and that he received payments from the gangs illegal activities into his inmate trust account. Instead, residents said, they lived amid a race war. Chief United States District Judge Stanley Bastian sentenced Leon to a 160-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 5-year term of court supervision after he is released from prison. Cartel Initiated Alliance with Prison Gang that is also Targeted in Second Indictment for Exercising Control Over Large South L.A. County Street Gang. "There's a fascination with gangs," said founder Alfred Lomas, a former member of the Florencia 13 gang. 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. You can also view a larger version of this document. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images). Dorado was also involved in the F13 Gangs efforts to smuggle illegal narcotics into local jails. Los Angeles, California 90012. He's family to us.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, ATF is committed and dedicated to removing violent criminals like these from our society for life. The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Huntington Park Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department. Four years ago, authorities arrested dozens of members of South Los Angeles' Florencia 13 gang in connection with the killing of blacks because of the color of their skin. 336 Florencia Ave , San Antonio, TX 78228-5843 is a single-family home listed for-sale at $300,000. [13] As of 2009, 94 of the 102 had been convicted or pleaded guilty, 3 had pending trials, 2 had died and 5 were fugitives from justice. A document seized by law enforcement in 2004 indicated the degree to which members of the Mexican Mafia controlled Florencia-13. 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. One of the indictments alleges that the gang is a criminal enterprise as defined by the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. 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. Arturo. The three men are members of Florencia-13, according to. 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. Their trial, which took place in federal court in Santa Ana in 2008, grew from an indictment of 104 Florencia gang members on charges that included racketeering, conspiracy to sell drugs and murder. U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Environmental Crimes and Community Safety, Federal Indictments Target South Los Angeles Street Gang Involved in Drug Trafficking, Extortion and Attempted Murder, 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. In a letter released by inmate advocates, Castellanos denounced the federal investigation as a set-up and described Florencia 13 as his old childhood street gang. He has also questioned why the feds only named him as an unindicted co-conspirator (Castellanos and the secret note were also mentioned in a 2007 indictment against other alleged gang members). The prison-based syndicate is also known as La Eme, Spanish for M, the 13th letter of the alphabet. 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. 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. LOS ANGELES Two key operatives of the Florencia 13 street gang were sentenced this week to life without parole in federal prison. The evidence further showed that Sanchez participated in the F13 Gangs drug trafficking activities at the gangs casitas. United States District Judge Beverly Reid OConnell sentenced the two men this week after presiding over a four-week trial that culminated last July with a jury returning guilty verdicts on multiple charges against the defendants including conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to commit violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR), drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images). 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. In recent years, however, Florencia-13 members have been directed to eschew violent inter-gang rivalries in favor of pursuing new rackets, said a former member of the gang, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Dorado and Fazah also were found guilty of possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it (heroin and methamphetamine, respectively) and of each being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Inside a home on 81st Street in South L.A., detectives found taped to the underside of a dresser a list of reglas rules assembled from various handwritten notes that had been pieced together, Velasquez, the sheriffs lieutenant, testified. Three years after the Florencia indictment, residents say, a measure of calm has come to Florence-Firestone. Column: Does racism make you too stupid to be a cop? The gang is now at the center of the killing earlier this month of an off-duty Los Angeles police officer. Jose Gonzalez, 36, received a 20-year sentence. It was among the deadliest acts of violence in modern Kansas history. The indictment alleges that two incarcerated Mexican Mafia members are the leaders of the Florencia 13 gang, and that they directed the activities of the street gang from a California state prison and received payments derived from the gang's illegal activities. Castellanos actions in running criminal conspiracies and in organizing protests are driven by an unquenchable thirst for power and recognition, according to Enriquez. The gang is named after the Florence area of Los Angeles County, controlled by the Mexican Mafia. 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. 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. Jose Dorado, also known as Yogi, 35, and Tannous Fazah, aka Terrorist, 27, both of Huntington Park, were F13 gang soldiers who, among other things, participated in the murder of a junior member of the gang. Operation Joker's Wild investigated the gang's drug trafficking, extortion of street criminals, and racially based murders of African Americans in the area. These defendants beat and shot a young man to death and increased the flow of illegal drugs into our community, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. Prosecutors allege Castellanos continued to discuss gang business in meetings with visitors at Pelican Bay as recently as 2011 and in the aftermath of an earlier hunger strike. Laredo, who is serving a sentence for prior racketeering and drug convictions related to his F13 activities, is one of four members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang who allegedly had leadership roles in the gang. Los Angeles Police officers attend a candlelight vigil for fallen Officer Fernando Arroyos, who was shot and killed during an armed robbery attempt outside the Olympic Community Police Station Jan. 12, 2022, in Los Angeles. The trial further found that the gang was controlled by the Mexican Mafia prison gang. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The indictment unsealed today follows a 2007 crackdown on the gang that led to more than 100 members and associates being charged, and five of them receiving sentences of life without parole in federal prison (see: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/pr2010/025.html). The gang now has at least two dozen cliques across South Los Angeles, Huntington Park, South Gate and Maywood. Their tireless efforts, commitment to their agencies, and dedication to their communities have led law enforcement to a victory in the continuing battle against the gangs and drugs that plague our communities.. These violent gang members belong in prison, not in our communities. The two suspects were also charged for a shooting at a group of people at a Taylorsville, Utah cemetery on January 6, which did not harm anyone. Arroyoscollapsed in an alley and died at a hospital. The Florencia 13, South Side Florencia 13 or Florence Gang is an American criminal street gang based in Los Angeles, California, composed mainly of Mexican-Americans. Meanwhile, he said, we actually have the deputies to enforce zero tolerance with active gang members.. 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. When Leon was arrested for those drug charges, he was unlawfully in possession of a loaded firearm. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. 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. 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. 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. An official website of the United States government. The indictment unsealed today focuses on how the gang has generated illicit profits through the sale of drugs and firearms, fraud, and extortion. Arturo Castellanos has been incarcerated since 1979 for a murder conviction. A third indictment charges two F13 members with being felons in possession of a firearm and ammunition, namely an AK-47-type rifle. Then something changed, 7 hospitalized after driver in stolen car runs red light in San Bernardino, police say, Barstow police investigating after officer caught on video hitting man with a baton, Northern California town on edge after second fatal stabbing in a week, Man found guilty of murdering teens who ding-dong-ditched his house, Sacramento, San Francisco mayors take shots at each others city before NBA playoff game. In 2007, 102 members of Florencia 13 were listed in indictments, under the operation, leading to the biggest gang raid in American history at the time, with 96 of the 102 members taken into custody. Although these violent criminal street gangs continue to exist today, joint law enforcement endeavors such as this are proven to be effective and further collaboration with our Federal partners is welcomed., The evidence at trial showed, among other things, that Dorado and Fazah received an order from an incarcerated, senior F13 Gang member to violently discipline a junior member of the gang. The lead defendant in RICO indictment Leonel Laredo, a.k.a. The investigation into Florencia 13 was led by ATF and included the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Huntington Park Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department. 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! Running a criminal organization while locked inside one of America's most secure prisons requires imagination, cunning and ruthlessness. A locked padlock LAPD. 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. 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. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images), Elected officials took a hands-off approach to public safety: LAPD officer. [10] 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. Public Information Officer Market data provided by Factset. But Laredo, an alleged member of the Mexican Mafia who has been incarcerated since 2000, was recorded in a call from prison telling an associate on the street that 40% of the money collected from the gangs rackets was owed to the four Mexican Mafia members from Florencia-13, according to an indictment charging him with racketeering. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Terrence P. Mann, Sheila Nagaraj and Victoria Degtyareva. Dorado and Casado were arrested on August 6, 2013 as part of a large-scale takedown of more than 20 members and associates of the F13 Gang. The four are charged with violent crime in aid of racketeering in the killing of Officer Fernando Arroyos, who was fatally shot Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of. And after they agree its over, its a dead issue.. Anyone who ignores the group's edicts faces likely retaliation if they end up behind bars. So all you homies doing so, the rules say, get a job!, The document lays out which drugs can be sold where: Jailed Florencia-13 members in need of money were permitted to sell heroin in the county jail, but not speed, glass, crank, or crystal. No heroin was to be sold in gang territory on the streets. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Arturo Castellanos has been incarcerated since 1979 for a murder conviction. 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. A second indictment unsealed this morning concerns the Mexican Mafia and its control over the Florencia 13 criminal street gang in south Los Angeles County. Many of the victims, Black and Latino, had no gang affiliations. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. [8] The gang also operates casitas, underground casinos hidden inside South Los Angeles homes and apartments, which each generated about $300 a week in taxes for the gang, the indictment says. Florencia 13 has a long history of being involved in drug trafficking in Los Angeles, where they have held a leadership . All 13 defendants are charged in count one of the indictment, which outlines the Mexican Mafia-La Familia alliance and alleges a conspiracy to distribute narcotics. It is the hoods responsibility to clean the hood of such trash, the rules state. The indictment named 30 members and associates of the F13 gang. Florencia 13 Gang Member Sentenced to 160 Months in Federal Prison Drug Enforcement Administration Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge Seattle @DEASeattleDiv July 01, 2021 Contact: Phone Number: (571) 387-3831 For Immediate Release Florencia 13 Gang Member Sentenced to 160 Months in Federal Prison This multi-agency law enforcement effort exhibits the positive community impact of focused, diligent and dedicated investigative work, said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Harden. We believe that we have initiated a crippling effect to those members who are still loyal to the Mexican Mafia criminal organization., Larry Miranda, Chief of the Office of Correctional Safety for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said: One of the most chilling aspects of this investigation was the budding relationship between the Mexican Mafia and the La Familia/Knights Templar, showing how two powerful organizations attempted to combine their efforts to control prison facilities and the communities in which we live. Homicides dropped to 10 last year. "F13 is a large, multi-generational street gang that previously has been the subject of federal prosecutions, including two large racketeering cases," the DOJ said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? This investigation into the Mexican Mafia started in May 2010 and also involved the Montebello Police Department, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service, the Stanislaus Drug Enforcement Agency, the United States Bureau of Prisons, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation-Special Services Unit, and the Huntington Park Police Department. 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. Jim Hellmold, supervisor of the departments Century Division, where Florence-Firestone is located. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Menace, shot and wounded a fellow F13 member to discipline him at one of the gangs casitas, or illegal gambling houses. The RICO indictment also alleges that the gang actively attempted to smuggle narcotics into the California state prison and Los Angeles County jail systems, including attempting to mail two shipments totaling 100 grams of heroin to an imprisoned Mexican Mafia member. The rules, written in a cramped hand, state that every Florencia-13 clique should elect by majority vote a president and vice president, who were to hold weekly meetings. They say conditions at Pelican Bay are unconstitutional and amount to slow torture. As Castellanos letters appeared on the street in the fall and winter of 2004, Florencia 13 erupted in a spate of violence against African Americans. Other edicts allegedly issued by Castellanos guided Florencia 13 into a turf battle against rival gangs. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Lock These shot callers were then ordered to coordinate the illegal distribution of drugs and other criminal activities, to ensure that extortionate taxes were collected, and otherwise to oversee their respective portions of the gangs territory, such as by resolving disputes both among F13 gang members and associates and with members of other Los Angeles gangs, the indictment states. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. In August, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles named Castellanos in an indictment alleging a host of narcotics, firearms and fraud offenses, all carried out from his cell at Pelican Bay. As demonstrated at trial, Dorado, Fazah, and Sanchez were F13 Gang soldiers who engaged in narcotics trafficking, violence, and/or firearms possession in furtherance of the gang. Six of her spring victories . For a monthly payment, typically between $200 and $250, he said, members of Florencia-13 and other gangs are warned that the business is under the auspices of a Mexican Mafia member. Your IP: 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.. The indictment alleges that Laredo ran the street gang from prison with a goal of enriching himself, family members and associates through extortionate taxes taken from drug dealers and businesses in F13s territory. Members of the Latino Florencia 13 gang have left their tag at numerous places along a stretch of Florence Avenue in the Florence area of L.A. County. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case has yet to go to trial. SPOKANE, Wash., -Aleandro Leon, age 24, of Pasco, Washington, was sentenced on June 30, 2021, after having pleaded guilty to: being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, conspiracy to provide prohibited objects to an inmate in prison; and inmate in possession of a prohibited object. ndiscriminate shootings of Black and Latino residents. The RICO indictment also alleges that F13 members were responsible for the shooting and attempted murder of a rival gang member in South Los Angeles in December 2016. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "We can either address the issue head-on, create awareness and discuss the positive things . You dont gotta worry about that punk no more.. Many early members of the Mexican Mafia were recruited from the Florencia gang. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provided substantial assistance. Los Angeles Police officers bow their heads in prayer to honor their fallen colleague, Officer Fernando Arroyos, who was shot and killed during an armed robbery. Official websites use .gov Florencia-13 has opened unlicensed dispensaries in South Los Angeles, selling not just marijuana out of the storefronts but cocaine and methamphetamine as well, the former member said. Florencia 13 is part of a terrifying gang war scene in Los Angeles, and it also has influence in more rural states like Virginia and Iowa. All fourdefendants were found guilty of both Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy and Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, the latter being based on the F13 Gangs street sales of illegal narcotics and coordinated operations to smuggle drugs into the Los Angeles County Jail (LACJ). Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0660170e4a056a Two more gang members are scheduled to be sentenced later this month. The prison system is a segregated place. Several members of the gang have risen through its ranks to become leaders of the Mexican Mafia.
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