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 . 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. [8] Court testimony and the judges ruling found that F13 members had targeted African-Americans based purely on race. "It was important that Castellanos not be let out, because he holds sway over gang members to do things they would otherwise not want to do," Hernandez said. The action triggered a wave of racial violence against African-Americans, according to court documents. On January 13, 2019, two people were shot and wounded outside the Fashion Place Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah, after an argument erupted between Florencia 13 and Norteos members. After the jury returned its verdicts, United States District Judge Beverly Reid OConnell scheduled sentencing hearings for October 24, 2016. 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. 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. 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. Ciaran McEvoy [7] They are involved in drug smuggling, murder, assault and robbery. Dorado then reported back to the incarcerated F13 Gang member who issued the order: Thats a done deal. Police say he was with his girlfriend, looking at a house that he was thinking of buying, when two men robbed him at gunpoint of his wallet and jewelry. Black men, in particular, reported not walking to the store for groceries or riding bikes. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Florencia Urrutia Named 2023 Second Team All-SEC 13 Linked To Mexican Mafia And La Familia Indicted After - DEA The indictment that prosecutors brought in 2018 charges that Florencia-13 members discussed collecting taxes from a marijuana shop. The indictment unsealed today focuses on how the gang has generated illicit profits through the sale of drugs and firearms, fraud, and extortion. Killing of LAPD officer brings scrutiny on one of L.A.'s oldest and Running a criminal organization while locked inside one of America's most secure prisons requires imagination, cunning and ruthlessness. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. At the conclusion of the brutal beating that ensued, Fazah brandished a handgun and shot the victim in the face, killing him. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case has yet to go to trial. 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. Dorado was also involved in the F13 Gangs efforts to smuggle illegal narcotics into local jails. A California law says yes. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. This case is an example of what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal agencies collaborate to investigate, arrest, and successfully prosecute these violent criminals.. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. The gang is now at the center of the killing earlier this month of an off-duty Los Angeles police officer. Years of violent conflict over that territory with other gangs lent Florencia an identity and reason for being. Todays salvo against the Mexican Mafia is part of a 20-year fight to curb the influence of the prison gang both inside prison walls and on the streets of Southern California, said United States Attorney Andr Birotte Jr. We successfully dismantled the gangs leadership structure in prior cases, causing chaos throughout the organization. United States Attorneys Office 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. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0660170e4a056a 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. Seven decades ago, Latino youths in South Los Angeles banded together to form a gang. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Terrence P. Mann of the Santa Ana Branch Office, Sheila Nagaraj of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Victoria A. Degtyareva of the General Crimes Section. The Times reported earlier this month that Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva asked federal authorities to handle the situation because he didn't believe Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon's office would be tough enough. 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. All cliques must make sure you dont get infested by rats, P.C.s, or 25-debriefers gang members who cooperate with law enforcement by checking the paperwork, or court files, of every Florencia-13 member coming out of jail. "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. 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. Suite 1200 One of the indictments unsealed today alleges that defendants linked to the gang trafficked methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and other drugs in their territory and attempted to smuggle narcotics into the state prison system. The former head of Wells Fargo Banks retail banking division has agreed to plead guilty to obstructing a government examination into the banks widespread sales practices misconduct, which included opening A resident of the Westside of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for using websites and apps such as Snapchat to meet and entice children to engage A South Bay man who along with three other accomplices victimized a 15-year-old girl by creating sexually explicit videos of her has been sentenced to 220 months in Central District of California 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. ATF is committed and dedicated to removing violent criminals like these from our society for life. The American Society of Mexico se congratula en anunciar el nombramiento de Florencia Davel, VP LatAm & Global Distributors Market de Bristol Myers Squibb, como Co-Chair de su Council of Latin . 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 . According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Leon was under Department of Corrections supervision for a drive-by shooting conviction when he was indicted in three separate federal indictments, all involving separate criminal conduct from January 2019 until April 2020. 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. An official website of the United States government. The officer collapsed in an alley, mortally wounded. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Beginning in 2004, the unincorporated Los Angeles County area north of Watts was the site of one of the regions worst gang sieges since the early 1990s, evolving into what some residents felt was a race war. Of those indicted, 94 have pleaded guilty or have been convicted. 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. Before joining The Times in 2018, he covered city news and state politics at the Hartford Courant. In this case, the crime seems more opportunistic. Arturo Castellanos has been incarcerated since 1979 for a murder conviction. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Florencia 13 is one of the largest, most powerful and oldest street gangs in Southern California. A locked padlock Mexican Mafia member sentenced to life for murdering fellow mafioso Four were already in custody prior to todays arrests and one is a fugitive. 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 members of La Familia named in the indictment allegedly oversaw the distribution of methamphetamine and marijuana in the Southern California area, as well as provided money and drugs at discounted prices to members of the Mexican Mafia. The seven-count indictment which names six members of the Mexican Mafia, three associates of the prison gang, and four people directly linked to the La Familia cartel outlines a venture between the criminal organizations that participants referred to as the Project, and which involved the highest levels of La Familia. A locked padlock 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 gangs illegal activities. 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. 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. The Mexican Mafia has a powerful grasp on these [Latino] gangs, said Peter Hernandez, the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case. Federal prosecutors charge alleged gang members with killing off-duty Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. 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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department. The illegal contraband included methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cell phones. Florence-Firestone, with a population of 60,000, had 43 homicides in 2005. 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. Luis De La Rosa Rios, Jesse Contreras, Ernesto Cisneros and Haylee Grisham have been charged in federal court with Arroyos' killing. This case was investigated by the DEA-Tri-Cities Task Force, METRO and Pasco Street Crimes Unit, United States Marshals Service, and Benton County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriffs Department has also targeted Florencias rivals, said Capt. At the time of sentencing, all defendants will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment on the RICO Conspiracy and Drug Trafficking Conspiracy counts, as well as mandatory minimum prison terms of 10 years based on the amounts of methamphetamine at issue. Legal Statement. 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. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Six of her spring victories . [9] The conflict was triggered by the theft by East Coast Crips of a large amount of drugs from Florencia 13 members. ), 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. The 2,133 sq. 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. Authorities arrested 11 members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Florencia 13. By then Florencia 13 had bulged to include three dozen cliquesroughly 2,000 members in alland joined 18th Street and the Salvadoran Mara Salvatrucha as some of Southern California's . 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). Central District of California | Two Florencia 13 Gang Members The indictment alleges that participants in the Project sought to give La Familia members free rein to sell methamphetamine in Southern California and to provide protection for incarcerated cartel members in exchange for money and methamphetamine going to Mexican Mafia members. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, L.A. Affairs: I had my reasons for not dating white men. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The robbery and killing of an off-duty Los Angeles police officer this month was allegedly the work of Florencia 13 (F13), a Latino street gang largely controlled by the Mexican Mafia. 13 indicted, 8 arrested in Calif. drug cartel investigation The Queen of Florencia - Los Angeles Magazine Florencia-13 tag on a stop sign on Florence Ave. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. A note that was written on a small scrap of paper known as a kite, smuggled out of prison and then recopied in larger print, lays out specific rules for Mexican Mafia members on the street. The indictment named 30 members and associates of the F13 gang. How snitches and sex offenders are rooted out and punished. [8] 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. There is no reliable estimate of how much money Florencia-13 generates for its Mexican Mafia overlords. 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.. 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. Florencia 13 - Wikipedia This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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. The Mexican Mafia is a powerful prison gang that controls much of the drug trade and other criminal activities within California state prisons, county jails and some federal prisons, according to the indictments unsealed this morning. The letter outlines rules, or reglas, drawn up by Mexican Mafia members for associates operating on the streets. 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. You can also view a larger version of this document. Six Florencia 13 gang members sentenced to life in prison Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Leon pled guilty to two out of the three federal indictments. [8], Between 2005 and 2014 there was a Southern California style Mexican restaurant at 185 Sullivan Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City named Florencia 13 after the gang. Dozens Arrested During Raids Targeting 2 Violent Street Gangs in - KTLA He also ordered the gang to attack the local Crips gang, whose members are black. Lock Anyone who ignores the group's edicts faces likely retaliation if they end up behind bars. Todays enforcement efforts will help to reduce the damaging impact of this brutal organization by arresting key members and associates of the La Familia cartel and disrupting their distribution networks in the Los Angeles area.. This resulted in the Mexican Mafia putting a green light out on the East Coast Crips. Killing of LAPD officer brings scrutiny on one of L.A.'s oldest and 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Florencia 13 - Rap Dictionary Public Information Officer 156.38.193.218 Many early members of the Mexican Mafia were recruited from the Florencia gang. Jesse Contreras, 34; Ernesto Cisneros, 22; Luis Alfredo de la Rosa Rios, 27, and Haylee Marie Grisham, 18, are charged with murdering Officer Fernando Arroyos in a violent crime in aid of. Grisham, the girlfriend of Rios, is described as a gang associate. 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). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. You dont gotta worry about that punk no more.. LAPD. The trial further found that the gang was controlled by the Mexican Mafia prison gang. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images), Elected officials took a hands-off approach to public safety: LAPD officer. Prosecutors alleged that Mexican Mafia member Arturo Tablas Castellanos essentially created a crime wave in the Florence-Firestone district. 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. He's family to us.". 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. How street gangs and their sub-groups are governed, including the election of a president and vice president by majority votes.. The indictment unsealed today focuses on how the gang has generated illicit profits through the sale of drugs and firearms, fraud, and extortion. "We're going to miss him a lot. As revealed by a series of inmate telephone recordings, he participated in the attempt to have a co-conspirator smuggle heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine through the Los Angeles Metropolitan Courthouse on Hill Street. The case showed the remarkable power the Mexican Mafia prison gang holds over Southern California Latino street gangs. In time it absorbed smaller gangs, many of which became cliques, or subsets, of Florencia-13. [11] And after they agree its over, its a dead issue.. . 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