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    The Norteños are a coalition of Latino gangs in Northern California that are affiliated with Nuestra Familia prison gang. They originated in California prisons in the 1960s as northern Latino inmates separated into two rival groups, the Norteños and Sureños, based on their hometowns north or south of Delano. Their longtime rivals are the Sureños. Federal law enforcement cracked down on the Norteños in operations like Operation Black Widow in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This led to a power struggle as new leaders emerged in the gang, with David "DC" Cervantes becoming the single leader based in Pelican Bay State Prison. Norteños identify through the color red and the number

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    The Norteños are a coalition of Latino gangs in Northern California that are affiliated with Nuestra Familia prison gang. They originated in California prisons in the 1960s as northern Latino inmates separated into two rival groups, the Norteños and Sureños, based on their hometowns north or south of Delano. Their longtime rivals are the Sureños. Federal law enforcement cracked down on the Norteños in operations like Operation Black Widow in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This led to a power struggle as new leaders emerged in the gang, with David "DC" Cervantes becoming the single leader based in Pelican Bay State Prison. Norteños identify through the color red and the number

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    403 views2 pages

    Norteños 14

    Uploaded by

    Hatori Wakamiya
    The Norteños are a coalition of Latino gangs in Northern California that are affiliated with Nuestra Familia prison gang. They originated in California prisons in the 1960s as northern Latino inmates separated into two rival groups, the Norteños and Sureños, based on their hometowns north or south of Delano. Their longtime rivals are the Sureños. Federal law enforcement cracked down on the Norteños in operations like Operation Black Widow in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This led to a power struggle as new leaders emerged in the gang, with David "DC" Cervantes becoming the single leader based in Pelican Bay State Prison. Norteños identify through the color red and the number

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    Norteños 14

    The Norteños (Spanish: Northerners), also Norte, are affiliated with Nuestra Familia (Our Family), are a
    coalition of traditionally Latino gangs in Northern California. A member of these gangs is a Norteño
    (male) or Norteña (female); based on Spanish usage. Northern Californians who are not gang members,
    but feel a strong cultural affiliation with others in Northern California, may also refer to themselves as
    Norteños/Norteñas or simply "Northerners."

    The traditional rivals of the Norteños are the Sureños ("Southerners"). The statewide dividing line
    between Norteños and Sureños has roughly been accepted as the rural community of Delano, California.
    Norteños may refer to Northern California as Norte, Spanish for "north".

    History

    In the late 1960s, Mexican-American (Chicano) inmates of the California state prison system began to
    separate into two rival groups, Norteños (northerners)and Sureños (southerners), according to the
    locations of their hometowns (the north-south dividing line is near Delano, California).

    Norteños affiliated with Nuestra Familia were prison enemies of the Southern Latinos who comprised La
    Eme, better known as the Mexican Mafia. 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
    Latinos from rural farming areas of Northern California. The spark that led to the ongoing war between
    Norteños and members of the Mexican Mafia involved a situation in which a member of La Eme
    allegedly stole a pair of shoes from a Northerner. This event put into motion the longest-running gang
    war in the state of California.

    Operation Black Widow

    Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate the group, began to step up their
    investigations in the late 1990s.In 2000 and 2001, 22 members were indicted on Racketeer Influenced
    and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges including several who were allegedly serving as high-
    ranking gang leaders while confined in Pelican Bay. Thirteen of the defendants pleaded guilty; the other
    cases are still ongoing. Two of the defendants face the death penalty for ordering murders related to the
    drug trade. The largest of the federal investigations was Operation Black Widow.
    Renewed organization

    In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest ranking leaders of the Norteños were
    transferred to a federal supermaximum prison in Florence, Colorado. The written constitution of the
    Norteños stated that the leadership of the gang reside in Pelican Bay State Prison in California; the
    relocation of the gang's leaders led to the confusion of its soldiers and a power struggle of prospective
    generals.

    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. Cervantes' rise marked the first time
    in decades that the Norteños had a single leader at the helm of their criminal organization. The
    remaining leadership of the organization in Pelican Bay consists of Daniel "Stork" Perez, Anthony
    "Chuco" Guillen and George "Puppet" Franco. While all Norteño soldiers and captains in California are
    expected to follow the orders of Cervantes, a small percentage of the gang remains loyal to the former
    generals and captains imprisoned in Colorado. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has
    complained that keeping the five remaining gang leaders located in the same prison continues to add to
    California gang violence, and that they should be scattered throughout different prisons. While the
    recognized leaders of the Norteños in Pelican Bay ask that members respect the former leaders, they
    have been effectively stripped of their authority. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado,
    Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez.

    Symbols and culture

    Norteño emblems and clothing are based on the color red. A typical Norteño outfit might include a red
    belt, red shoes, and red shoelaces. They will also favor sports team apparel that shows their affiliation
    through symbolism such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers football, UNLV, K-Swiss, and San Francisco 49ers.

    Norteños may refer to each other by using the term "Ene", Spanish for the letter "N". Norteños use the
    number 14 in tattoos and graffiti because "N" is the fourteenth letter of the alphabet. It is sometimes
    written as "X4", or in Roman numerals as "XIV". Some Norteños will tattoo themselves with four dots.
    Norteño derogatorily refers to a Sureño as a "Scrap" or "Sur (Sewer) Rat", while a Sureño will likewise
    refer to a Norteño as a "Buster" or "Chap" (Chapete).

    Norteños also lay claim to images of the Mexican-American labor movement, such as the sombrero,
    machete, and "Huelga bird", symbols of the United Farm Workers.

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