Federal prosecutors charge alleged gang members with killing off-duty The three men are members of Florencia-13, according to. The second indictment unsealed Tuesday charged 31 members of the Florencia 13 street gang, which operates in south Los Angeles County, with federal racketeering (RICO) violations, as well as . 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. The three men are members of Florencia-13, according to the FBI. 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. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Kendall of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section. But to hear prosecutors tell it, Arturo Castellanos grip on Florencia-13 led to a series of racially motivated attacks. 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. The case showed the remarkable power the Mexican Mafia prison gang holds over Southern California Latino street gangs. LA SHERIFF ASKS FEDS TO HANDLE PROSECUTION IN OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTING OVER CONCERNS DA TOO LENIENT: REPORT. Official websites use .gov 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. With the four convictions last summer, a total of 25 defendants have been convicted in the case (one charged defendant died, and the other four remain fugitives). Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Meanwhile, he said, we actually have the deputies to enforce zero tolerance with active gang members.. Legal Statement. 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. That order, which wascommunicated during a recorded call over the LACJ inmate telephone system, included instructions both to beat the victim severely and to kill him. 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. Several members of the gang have risen through its ranks to become leaders of the Mexican Mafia. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, What GOPs plan for Medicaid work requirements would mean, Column: A centrist, third-party alternative for 2024 is a nice idea but a nightmare in practice, Chinese man who reported on COVID to be released after 3 years. Eric Garcia, a Florencia-13 gang member, said he facilitated conference calls with dozens of Mexican Mafia members, who dialed in from prison cells on contraband phones, to discuss the. The STANDS4 Network . How drug sales, prostitution and other illegal activities are organized and taxed, with a percentage going to gang leaders behind bars. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. You can also view a larger version of this document. Two male Florencia members, aged 19 and 20, were arrested for involvement in the incident. 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. What does florencia 13 mean? - Definitions.net He has pleaded not guilty. or redistributed. The historic core of Florencias territory is bounded by Slauson Avenue to the north, 101st Street to the south, Central Avenue to the west and State Street to the east, Lt. Hector Velasquez of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department testified in 2016. 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. A California law says yes. How snitches and sex offenders are rooted out and punished. 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. The gang is named after the Florence area of Los Angeles County, controlled by the Mexican Mafia. I believe one of his objectives is to get [transferred] to federal prison to further his business plan, Enriquez said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A locked padlock Arroyos and his assailants exchanged gunfire. 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. 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. 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. Story tips can be sent to Jessica.Chasmar@fox.com. 3 dozen LA gang members arrested in major sweep Several members of the gang have risen through its ranks to become leaders of the Mexican Mafia. 312 North Spring Street That night, Fazah, Dorado, and other F13 Gang members lured the victim into an alley and attacked him. One of the indictments alleges that the gang is a criminal enterprise as defined by the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. 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. Dorado then reported back to the incarcerated F13 Gang member who issued the order: Thats a done deal. 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. 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. Acting United States Attorney Harrington said, The United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Washington commends the law enforcement officers with the federal and local agencies who investigated this case. The district attorneys office devoted a prosecutor to Florence-Firestone gang cases. 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. 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. 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. It is alleged that the Florence 13 gang has members in Los Angeles, New York City, East Orange, Chicago, Washington DC, Detroit, Arkansas, Miami, Texas, Atlanta, Sinaloa and Mexico. 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. Gang members have been charged with offenses ranging. Stay in touch. A fifth member of Florencia 13 (F13), a street gang involved in narcotics distribution and shootings of African-Americans, has been sentenced to life in federal prison for his conviction on a host of federal criminal charges, including racketeering and narcotics distribution. Grisham, the girlfriend of Rios, is described as a gang associate. 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. The three men are members of Florencia-13, according to. 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. 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. The Mexican Mafia has a powerful grasp on these [Latino] gangs, said Peter Hernandez, the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case. Twenty-six members and associates of the gang allegedly conspired to violate RICO and engaged in drug trafficking, illegal gambling, attempted murder and assault. The court heard in disturbing detail at trial how these Florenica 13 gang members lured the victim into an alley and beat him unconscious, said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Eric Harden. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Dorado, Fazah, and Sanchez have all been held without bond since entering federal custody. They include: We are forewarning everyone to cautiously respect these reglas and know theres no 2nd chance, reads the message, which was allegedly written by Arturo Castellanos, a convicted murderer who has been held in isolation at Pelican Bay since 1990. Six of her spring victories . 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,. 312 North Spring Street ATF remains steadfast in its stance to disrupt organized gang activity and seek prosecution of anyone who chooses to offend at will, denying law abiding citizens a community or workplace free from violence.. 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. Los Angeles, California 90012. The evidence further showed that Sanchez participated in the F13 Gangs drug trafficking activities at the gangs casitas. 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. Column: Does racism make you too stupid to be a cop? Urrutia, a native of Santa Fe, Argentina, is currently the No. Arturo. Central District of California | Two Florencia 13 Gang Members A locked padlock The gang appended the 13 to its name in the 1990s, signaling its allegiance to the Mexican Mafia. [10] An official website of the United States government. 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. 336 Florencia Ave, San Antonio, TX 78228 | MLS #1679310 | Zillow The violence left dozens of people dead, including many with no gang affiliation, and required enormous county resources to combat. Instead, residents said, they lived amid a race war. Suite 1200 (213) 894-4465. When Leon was arrested for those drug charges, he was unlawfully in possession of a loaded firearm. ATF is committed and dedicated to removing violent criminals like these from our society for life. Luis De La Rosa Rios, Jesse Contreras, Ernesto Cisneros and Haylee Grisham have been charged in federal court with Arroyos' killing. Homicides dropped to 10 last year. It also demands a firm set of rules and a way to impose them on operatives on the streets, often violent and obstreperous gang members. Things have gotten a lot better, said Chris Le Grande, pastor of Great Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Compton Avenue in Florence-Firestone. Killing of LAPD officer brings scrutiny on one of L.A.'s oldest and The indictment that outlines the Project and related drug trafficking activities names 13 defendants, eight of whom were arrested this morning. 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. Central District of California | Three Gang Members and One Gang 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. The defendants taken into custody this morning are scheduled to make their initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court. Four were already in custody prior to todays arrests and one is a fugitive. The documents unsealed this week call Arturo Castellanos a Mexican Mafia member and the undisputed leader of the Florencia 13 criminal street gang in south Los Angeles County. 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.. After the jury returned its verdicts, United States District Judge Beverly Reid OConnell scheduled sentencing hearings for October 24, 2016. Running a criminal organization while locked inside one of America's most secure prisons requires imagination, cunning and ruthlessness. Theres still some concern, and I would even say some fear, but with a little F -- not fear like there was, Pastor Le Grande said. Officer Fernando Arroyos, 27, was shot to death the night of Jan. 10 near the intersection of 87th and Beach streets. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. 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). Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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.. 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. Arroyoscollapsed in an alley and died at a hospital. 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.
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